...Amnesty International (2014) recently spoke to a 43 year old asylum seeker from Iran said in detention at Manus Island. He said, “I have lived in war zones, with bombs and explosions. I have never experienced what I am experiencing here with the uncertainty we face. If we had died in the ocean that would have been better” The following essay will explore the current system of offshore processing of asylum seekers under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) and alternatives to this legislation. The basis of an amendment to this legislation to mandate onshore processing is in the enabling of a safe and humane migration into Australian communities, faster processing of claims and a process that is more effective and less costly than offshore detention...
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...“…The right of persons to seek asylum from persecution” (UNHCR; 1967) is recognised by the United Nations Convention. Asylum seekers are known as persons who have fled their own country seeking protecting in fear for their life. Consequently, such persons often illegally arrive and enter countries such as Australia without valid visas. However, as part of the Human Rights signatory, Australia owes an international obligation towards all refugees and asylum seekers to “protect [their] human rights…” (Human Rights Commission (HRC)) as long as they are in Australian territory. Nevertheless, it has been continuously reported by the United Nations that Australia, through its detainment and treatment of refugees in detention centres, has penalised...
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...Border Protection, an issue that exposes the ugly truth of Australian politics, form many years arguments have been put forward regarding asylum seeker in Australia. Some would say “turn them back, the county has enough population, no need for the extra” and some would say “they are in desperate need for help, let them in, the county need new blood”. The past few years, Australians voiced their opinions, loud and clear, Australians are a group of raciest who wants to punish asylum seekers for the sake of punishing them, regardless of how harsh they have been treated, discriminated against, punished, tortured or killed, they are still being defined as boat people who should be locked up in harsh conditions in detentions centres, what would...
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...about asylum seekers resorting to violence due to discontentment with the Australian government regarding the assessment of their refugee status. These are evident cries for help which sparks off debates on the government’s abilities to find a successful solution to the asylum issues. Australia has been criticized due to the requirements of compulsory immigration detention for ‘all unlawful non-citizens, (including asylum seekers)’ (Phillips & Spinks 2013, p.1). The other controversial issue of Australia regarding the asylum seekers is also the claims that it has been avoiding it’s responsibilities under the United Nations refugee conventions by making it hard for asylum seekers to claim refugee protection. Although the Australian government is undertaking various asylum policies in response to the constant increasing influx of refugees and asylum seekers entering the country, many are still constantly suffering and the human rights of these inhumane policies need to be further addressed. This essay will emphasize the inhumane asylum policies by weighing the negative aspects, but also addressing the government’s response in dealing with the asylum issues. Many have questioned the need for the mandatory detention of asylum seekers upon arrival especially when there is no exclusion for women and children. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) has found that this policy is an infringement of human rights as it does not fulfill the conditions of Australia respecting...
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...Australia’s history is striking in that immigration, in a myriad of forms, essentially gave life to the nation as it is today. Australia has long been considered a prime location for asylum seekers, with it’s stable governance, high quality of life and already established immigrant communities, it is easy to see why individuals seeking asylum from religious or ethnic persecution, conflict or despotism choose Australia to lodge their claims. Be it Europeans escaping Soviet expansion post World War 2 or South Vietnamese allies fleeing Vietnam following the fall of Saigon in 1975, the development of Australia’s history and culture is inseparably linked to these Asylum seekers who come “across the sea” to our boundless plains. Australia continues to receive asylum seekers in the 21st century however there has been an apparent shift in the nations psyche towards these asylum seekers. A moral panic is defined as a disproportionate response to a perceived threat by one group towards another. Is the reaction to Asylum seekers in Australia an example of moral panic?...
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...Australia has a legal obligation towards asylum seekers and refugees. Australia has a legal obligation towards Asylum Seekers and Refugees as it is a signatory to the UN Human Rights and Refugee Conventions. Furthermore, Australia has a moral obligation based on its membership of the world community. “Australia is one of the 146 signatory countries to the United Nations 1951 Convention and or/ 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees”. (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, 2009) According to Australian Human Rights Commission an asylum seeker is someone who has fled their country and applies to the government of another country for protection as a refugee, (Australian Human Rights Commision, 2012) whereas a person is a refugee the moment he or she fulfils the criteria of the convention. As part of signatory countries to the United Nations 1951 Convention they are “obliged to act according to their efforts to allow everyone to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. This right may not be invoked in the case persecutions genuinely arising from non- political crimes or acts of contrary to the purposes and Principles on the United Nations”. (United Nations, 2011) This means that Australia has committed to respect the rights of refugees and to uphold the obligations set out in the treaty. This is in contradiction to the Migration Act 1958, which states, “Australian law requires that asylum seekers who have not been successful in their claims for refugee...
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...“other” individuals trying to enter Australia to seek asylum. To help comprehend the complex phenomenon of “others”, it is comparable to stereotyping, used to uphold social order. Richard Dyer (Hall, Evans & Nixon 2013) debates that “we represent people and places that are different from us with a representational practice, which we call stereotyping, which involves feelings, attitudes and emotions, and it also provokes fears and anxieties”. This ‘othering’ is a preface for the Australian Government to disregard their human rights responsibility, proclaiming that it is good for Australia. “Stop the boats” is the slogan and catchphrase the Australian Government and Australian society use when discussion of and around asylum seekers issues. This has triggered asylum seekers to be seen as a political concern instead of a humanitarian issue. Asylum seekers are used for political advance, playing on racial stereotypes or ‘others’ to strike fear within the Australian society. As the political concerns rage on, the public restrain understanding and compassion for asylum seekers. With...
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...ASYLUMS SEEKERS AND REFUGEES “Like many members of the Hazara minority in Afghanistan, Chaman Sha Nasiri fled his homeland to escape persecution. At the time, the Taliban had been hunting for young men to either recruit or kill. Chaman then spent three years in the Nauru processing centre. It was a time of uncertainty, and as with many other asylum seekers, he became increasingly anxious and desperate” 1 Chama’s Story is just one of many for asylum seekers who seek refuge here in Australia. They come to our country expecting safety and freedom alongside the most basic human right. Yet when they arrive they are imprisoned and treated as criminals. It is clear that the laws surrounding this issue are in dire need of change. Australia is a country well known for its diversity of beliefs and religions, it is said to be accepting of others, however, when the topic of asylum seekers is brought forth, the government and media portrays the need for border protection, and “stopping the boats”. This type of hostile political enforcement and negative media coverage only furthers the portrayal of refugees as something fear, in the mind of most Australians. However, although it is not widely broadcasted by the Government or media, Australia has a legal obligation to help asylum seekers under the United Nations Refugee Convention 1951, to which Australia is signatory. According to the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, amended by the 1967 Protocol (the...
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...Australia should accept asylum seekers. Discuss. Introduction: In recent years, the asylum seeker issue has been an increasing interest in Australia with many opposed opinions that led a much debated question is whether Australia should accept the asylum seekers or not. In this essay, I attempt to defend the view that the asylum seekers should be accepted into Australia because of the following reasons. Body: Firstly, Australia is one of the many countries that signed the 1951 Refugee Convention. It states that if people are found to be escaping persecution, they are to be allowed into the country. In order to comply with its responsibilities, Australia must increase its intake / start accepting refugees. A second incentive is Australia has the means to accommodate large numbers of people. As sung in the Australian National Anthem, Australia has “boundless plains to share” with “those who’ve come across the seas”. By accepting and welcoming people from around the world, all walks of life Australia will become a stronger and richer nation. By not allowing asylum seekers to integrate in Australian society, we are missing out on the opportunities to build our country. Finally, the financial. While some would argue that Australia should not accept asylum seekers because it is a huge financial burden. Australia current method of dealing with asylum seekers in offshore detention centres is far more expensive that the costs of educating and integrating these people. Although there...
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...The emergence of asylum seekers has been around for over 30 years and it has put significant pressure on the Australian government to solve the issue. The first piece is a news article, “Risking kids worth it”, directed towards an audience of Australians who are voting citizens, and have knowledge on the issue. In addition to voting citizens, the audience also includes government representatives as the government policy comes under serious questioning. The writer’s contention is that the Gillard’s Government change in policy of freeing women and children from detention has caused an influx in asylum seekers, especially children. Unlike the first piece, the second piece is a letter to the editor, “Free ride not wanted”, directed towards a broader audience of not only voting Australian citizens, but also the nonvoting younger citizens, who have interests in the issue and will one day be voting. The writer’s contention is that Australia’s response to asylum seekers in need of help has been dealt in an improper manner and the situation needs to be looked at. The news article “Risking kids worth it” has two parts to its whole meaning, “risking kids” and “worth it”. The former shows that putting kids in danger or jeopardy and the latter shows that is there a benefit or value. The whole title together displays the subject matter being that of placing kids in a hazardous or perilous environment make of any importance or worthiness. The letter to the editor “Free ride not wanted” also...
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...Coming To Australia… Refugees are people who fled from their homes in the face of persecution, or threats to their lives. But there is no reason why the Australian government should be obliged to welcome asylum seekers who use illegal methods to come here. We have the responsibility to protect our borders and way of life against what could amount to a huge arrival of immigrants whose backgrounds and possible criminal status are unknown.Australia shouldn’t accept the refugees as they are over populating the country and if we do more and more will come. People believe that asylum seekers deserve a fair go just like everyone else, but why should they if they are receiving everything off tax payers money. With the ever increasing number of refugees entering our country, many Australians are struggling to sustain what they once had. Many Australians were already struggling before the arrival of the refugees, and are only suffering more. Most Australians don’t earn or own substantial amounts of money and with the arrival of the asylum seekers it just puts more strain on them. Many people are now loosing their jobs and houses as they can no longer pay their mortgages, bills and purchase everyday needs as the government believes it is better to support the arrival of asylum seekers. Many Australians are in need of public housing and extra cash and the government seems to be failing its own people and giving it all away to the asylum seekers awaiting processing. The asylum seekers are...
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...better opportunities and safe environments. The 21st century has seen the increased migration of citizens of one state to another, a period termed as the age of Diasporas (Helman, 2007). The research will focus on immigrants, mainly asylum seekers and refugees with particular emphasis on the 72 asylum seekers from Lebanon who perished off the coast of Indonesia while heading to Australia. The research will address the plight of asylum seekers as one the most vulnerable populations. Migration to another country may be voluntary or voluntary. The involuntary migrants include asylum seekers, refugees, returnees ad internally displaced persons (IDPs). The primary cause of this category of people changing their location could be political upheavals, wars, natural disasters and poor states of the economy. The voluntary migrants migrate to other countries in search of employment and new ventures for personal growth. However, the involuntary migrants have multiple psychological, physical and social vulnerabilities due to their experience with violence and oppression. These vulnerable populations are very sensitive to risk factors. They are therefore more likely to develop health problems to their exposure to risk. An increase in the number of Asylum Seekers calls for the allocation of more resources to support their wellbeing and this will straight the available scarce resources. While competing for these resources...
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...Geography Assessment Task: Written Report Australia in its regional and global contexts Migration Introduction Australia is a nation built on the process of international migration. According to the 2011 Census, over a quarter of Australia’s population was born overseas. This indicates that migrants play an important role in Australia’s population growth and the nation’s development. The large proportion of migrants also broadened the cultural diversity in Australia. This report will briefly outline the nature of migration in Australia, the role played by government and non-government organisation (NGOs) in migration, treaties and agreements related to migration, advantages and disadvantages of migration, and social justice and equity...
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...A Baptist policy on immigration and asylum seekers The world currently faces a global refugee crisis with up to 40 million displaced people (the majority of whom are women and children). Australia currently accepts around 13,750 refugees each year as part of total planned annual immigration of around 182,000 people. This paper identifies social and political problems relating to asylum seekers and refugees. It examines the biblical teaching on a responsible Christian approach to asylum seekers and refugees, and discusses some of the ways in which Australian Baptists have responded to the challenges of immigration and asylum seekers. It concludes with a new policy proposal for the consideration of Australian Baptist Ministries, the various State and Territory Baptist Unions, and local churches. There is also a guide to further information. The situation facing Australia today Immigration policy is one of the two most bitterly contested issues in Australian politics, and has been for more than ten years. People who seek asylum by boat, and various policy instruments designed to deter both asylum seekers and people smugglers, have been at the heart of an increasingly contentious public and political discussion in Australia for more than a decade. The debate has polarised large sections of the Australian community and prevented many politicians from engaging in a constructive policy dialogue. With little to differentiate their product, especially on economic and employment...
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...topic of Asylum seekers in Australia, there seemed to be several specific concerns that these people had regarding asylum seekers. When I asked them where they had heard about these potential problems, the two main sources they gave were that they heard it on the news or it was spoken about by someone in the government. After researching these issues, it seems that many of these concerns seem to have been assisted by sections of both the media and the government. The first worry was that sylum seekers receive more money from the government than pensioners: One specific news report from the trusted show Today Tonight has received well-deserved backlash after claiming asylum seekers cost the taxpayers excessive ammounts of money. The headline read 'Asylum seekers get $400 a week' whereas the standard centrelink rate is $350 a week for Australians. This is a lie. The source they interviewed was a man who had refugee status and he actually received $400 a fortnight, much less than the average payment. TT claimed it was an editing error. The fact is that un-processed asylum seekers get no benefits until they are given a visa and even then they are entitled to the same centrelink benefits as everyone else. Is it any wonder peoeple are concerned about refugees when they are fed inflamatory nonsense like this by one of the most popular programs in Australia? 2- We dont have enough room- havent we done enough already? First of all, UN Figures confirm that Australias share of asylum applications...
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