Over the last year, refugee advocate and proud Indigenous Rohingya woman Noor Azizah has become well known in policy circles for her fierce advocacy for Rohingya refugees – and calling on the government to adopt more humane policies towards refugees and asylum seekers in Australia.
Here at Missing Perspectives, we’re huge fans of Noor (you may have read her feature she wrote for us earlier this year). ICYMI: Noor is the co-founder of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network, a women-led, Rohingya-led, and refugee-led organisation working on Rohingya human rights issues, sexual and gender-based violence, and education.
Noor has now received the Global Citizen Youth Leaders Award, which recognises young individuals who are innovators and advocates working to address the issues perpetuating extreme poverty from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region; helping tackle the world’s biggest issues including climate, gender equity, and human rights.
We got to chat to Noor about her work and what she thinks needs to change in terms of Australia’s refugee policies as we head into 2025.
What tangible changes would you like to see in Australia’s refugee policies in the next year?
I would like to see Australia significantly increase its refugee intake, prioritising stateless and vulnerable groups like the Rohingya, and commit to faster, more equitable resettlement processes.
Refugees need long-term support, including access to education, mental health services, and employment pathways, to rebuild their lives with dignity. Australia must advocate for humane treatment of asylum seekers not only within its borders but also in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. We must work collaboratively to urge these states to adopt humane onboarding processes for Rohingya refugees, ensuring their safety and dignity.
Australia has acknowledged the atrocities against the Rohingya. In 2018, Australia recognised the systematic violence committed by Myanmar’s military—including mass killings, sexual violence, and forced displacement—as genocide. Similarly, the United States, in March 2022, and Canada have formally recognised the genocide.
This is not a distant tragedy; it is unfolding in our own Asia-Pacific region, just an eight-hour flight from Sydney. As the closest ongoing genocide to Australia, it calls for urgent action and moral responsibility to provide refuge for survivors and advocate for justice on their behalf.
As NSW Young Woman of the Year and a Young Australian of the Year finalist, what platform or message do you hope to amplify in the coming year?
As NSW Young Woman of the Year and a Young Australian of the Year finalist, I hope to amplify a message that emphasises the humanity behind the Rohingya crisis. Our plight is not a political issue; it is a deeply human one. It’s the story of millions of lives shattered, families torn apart, and cultures at risk of extinction.
For the Rohingya, justice goes beyond citizenship or resettlement; it requires a reckoning with the atrocities committed against us, reconciliation, truth-telling, and holding perpetrators accountable. Unfortunately, we have received very little public support, and it has often been only our own community stepping up to fight for change.
I aim to elevate the voices of stateless and displaced communities, particularly Rohingya women who are often excluded from decision-making processes. My message is that justice and inclusion must be the foundation of every policy addressing human rights and migration. By sharing my own story and the resilience of my community, I hope to challenge stereotypes, raise awareness, and inspire greater global solidarity in support of justice for the Rohingya.
What achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of co-founding the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network, a refugee-led, Rohingya-led, and women-led organisation dedicated to empowering Rohingya women and children. Our mission focuses on advocating for their rights and leading efforts to rebuild our community. Through our work, we have provided education, humanitarian aid, and mental health support to displaced Rohingya across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh.
These efforts reflect the resilience of our people and represent a vital step in amplifying our stories and affirming our humanity.
For me, success is about showing up for my community during their darkest moments and finding ways to help when others turn away. Through our organisation, we’ve launched initiatives to directly address the urgent needs of displaced Rohingya.
We provide psychosocial support for 81 unaccompanied children who have witnessed unspeakable violence, including seeing their parents drown during their perilous escape. We also offer educational programs to Rohingya youth and gender-sensitive care to five women in Aceh, Indonesia, who, after enduring rape by traffickers, now carry children.
Our impact goes beyond immediate relief; we’ve organised cultural preservation nights, raised vital funds for displaced Rohingya, and built partnerships with international organisations to amplify our advocacy. We are also first responders to the recent violence in Arakan, providing aid to over 1,000 families who crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh this year. In the past year alone, we’ve raised $130,000 to support our community with essential aid, safe housing, and mental health care.
Most importantly, we are actively working to send crucial funds to support Rohingya still trapped in Arakan, amid the ongoing genocide. We’ve managed to do this in a secure and discreet manner.
Our mission isn’t about individual recognition; it’s about supporting those in exile, as well as those stuck in the conflict, and ensuring that hope endures, no matter the overwhelming challenges.
As part of your Global Citizen Youth Leaders Award, you attended Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne and Global Citizen Nights in March. What was the highlight of this, and how has Global Citizen’s prize and recognition helped you in your mission and work?
The highlight of my experience at Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne and Global Citizen Nights in March was meeting other inspiring youth leaders and exchanging ideas on how to address systemic injustices worldwide.
The recognition I received has greatly amplified my advocacy, providing access to platforms where I can speak about the Rohingya crisis and the broader issue of statelessness. One of the most powerful moments for me was speaking on the main stage to an audience of 3,000 people, sharing my story and reminding Australia of the contributions refugees make to society, as well as the urgent need to continue supporting neighbouring countries facing violence.
The recognition has not only reinforced my commitment to driving change but also shown that our collective efforts can help build a more inclusive world. The Global Citizen prize has provided essential logistical support, enabling me to expand the programs and initiatives that directly assist my community on the ground, from providing aid to launching new support efforts.