Federal parliament is this week expected to pass a suite of measures designed to stop asylum seekers making the perilous journey to Australia by boat, including boosting the nation’s annual humanitarian intake from 13,750 to 20,000.

The need to find homes for an extra 6250 people each year presents an opportunity for regional towns and cities battling labour shortages and shifting populations.

Data from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship also shows a refugee can have a far better resettlement experience if they live in rural Australia instead of capital cities.

A migrant or refugee living in a regional town or city is more likely to speak English well, have good physical and mental health, obtain a trade or university qualification, make rent and mortgage payments, access help from cultural or religious groups and critically, find employment.

Despite the benefits, just a fraction of Australia’s current humanitarian intake – about 10 per cent – eventually finds themselves in the bush.

If that trend continues, just 625 of the extra 6250 people granted a visa would end up living in regional Australia.

Wagga Wagga, Orange, Bathurst, Goulburn, Young, Coffs Harbour, Albury, Griffith, Lismore, Castlemaine, Shepparton, Swan Hill, Cairns, Toowoomba, Mt Gambier, Murray Bridge and Alice Springs are some of the more common resettlement locations outside capital cities.

Rural Australians for Refugees Castlemaine branch member Ellen O’Gallagher said there had been some “teething problems” since a group of Sudanese men moved to the central-Victorian town several years ago for work at a smallgoods factory.

In one 2009 incident, two Sudanese men were seriously assaulted in public.

The community responded with a large street march condemning racial intolerance.

“There was enormous shame in the community that something like that could happen here because on the whole, we are a very broad minded community,” Ms O’Gallagher said.

There are now more than 200 refugees happily living and working in Castlemaine, proof regional Australia is willing to help the disadvantaged and persecuted build a new life, according to Ms O’Gallagher.

 “I’m obviously all for more refugees living in our regions but I would caution that it must be done properly,” she said.

“Just plonking a whole lot of different people in a rural community without getting everybody onside first is probably a bad idea.”

The central-western NSW city of Orange is home to nearly 300 refugees who first lived in a metropolitan area before heading west.

Orange City Council’s migrant support officer, Anni Gallagher, also agreed the community would welcome extra refugees but said it must be matched by an increase in support services.

“From many perspectives there would be benefits for a larger number to come to regional areas but they key really would be in the state and federal governments getting their heads together to ensure there is sufficient housing, health, education and other support services,” she said.

“That really is one of the challenges and it needs to be considered and overcome.”

Increasing the humanitarian program to 20,000 would cost the federal government $1.4 billion over the forward estimates.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Nick Riemer said refugees should be settled in a location that’s best for them and for many, that won’t be regional Australia.

 “Our position is when they (refugees) get here, they need some pretty specialised help and sometimes that’s only available in metro areas,” he said.

“We want to see refugees end up going to the place that’s best for them.

“They are not pawns just to be shuffled around the national chess board to suit the needs of the government at the time.”

An expert panel led by former Australian Defence Force chief Angus Houston recommended the 20,000 intake.

It also floated the prospect of a further increase to 27,000 within five years and said there should be a greater focus on applications from ‘source countries’ in south-east Asia.

In the 2010/11 financial year, 29,793 people applied for a visa under the formal ‘refugee’ category.

A refugee is someone subjected to persecution in their home country.

Just 6000 refugee applications were approved.