The Niyonsaba family is taking steps to sue the federal government and the private contractor Australian Centre of Languages whose job it was to care for them.
The family says they were told to dial triple-0 in an emergency, but their ACL case worker did not check they could speak English or use the phone.
The family's lawyer George Newhouse says refugee families, particularly those from African countries, remain at risk because of government use of profit-based companies.
“The source of the risk comes down to the privatisation of refugee reception services. This isn't a cleaning contract. You don't tender out the process to the lowest-cost provider when people's lives and welfare are at stake. Why would you penny-pinch when it comes to integrating these vulnerable people into Australian society? If we don't give them the right start, they are doomed to failure,” Mr Newhouse said.