As our knowledge of Sierra Leone is very limited. The information which we can obtain in Australia from the newspapers, internet and government can be biased. The fact remains that these refugees arrived lawfully to compete in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. A fair go for refugees is a fair go for all Australians, most of the current arrivals have fled from conflict zones. Very few passed "safe countries" on their way to Australia, as most countries in our region, are not signatory to the Refugee Convention and are well-known for maltreatment of asylum seekers The law at the time was changed by the government to prevent asylum seekers that arrived by boat.
A brief historical account of Sierra Leone may provide only a glimmer as to why the Sierra
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Australians are growing more negative about high immigration and the arrival of asylum seekers. Multiculturalism strengthened the Australian way of life, a third answered weakened, while it is said migrants get more opportunities than those born in Australia. The threat to Australia by taking immigrants from war-torn countries without confirming their suitability could cause more disharmony within Australia. While governments such as PNG (Papua New Guinea) has rejected the solution Australia tries to find by placing refugees in …show more content…
Australia has an existing humanitarian intake for 2015-16 of only 25,750 places. To have a more compassionate understanding of the problem will the Courier Mail run a centrefold lift out on refugees and their struggles in getting to Australia, to final settlement as an Australian
Today 60 million refugees, and asylum seekers are internally displaced . This is almost double what it was 10 years ago. Mega conflicts in Syria and Iraq have displaced millions of people. These are conflicts that are pushing refugees and migrants into flight. The world is in the midst of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Yet Australia’s approach in recent years has been to punish people seeking asylum, while increasing the numbers of refugees it resettles. This contrasting approach threatens the long and proud history Australia has of successful integration of refugee communities. This report reflects what we have heard from refugees and people seeking asylum, and the people supporting them. We thank all of the people who contributed to this report. The past two years have been a dramatic and traumatic period for refugees, both at home and abroad. More people are seeking safety – from persecution, conflict, violence and violations of human rights – than at any time since World War II. In the past two years, we have seen lifeless children washing up on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. We have seen ordinary Europeans lining up to help refugees at train stations. We have seen Australians demanding successfully that their leaders let in an extra 12,000 people fleeing the crises in Syria and Iraq.
They realized the purpose of this policy is to reduce the amount of asylum seeker and stop the influx. BBC have published an article about the interview of an asylum seeker Habib, he said “I chose Australia because I think it's a country that cares about human rights”, But after he have been told that they can’t settle in Australian mainland and they have to be detained on Christmas island, He says “it has left me feeling desperate, it is unfair.” This article focus on the fact that this policy caused many negative intense emotions and considerable mental harm to already vulnerable asylum seekers. A large number of detainees suffered a rank of mental health issue including depression, anxiety, anger, testiness, agitation and so on. (BBC,
After all wars, there are always large numbers of homeless refugees. Australia has always been seen as a good place to house such refugees, due to it’s size. Socially there has been much unrest in the Australian public to this. The Australian public have seen Asian migrants and refugees as a threat to their jobs, as they work harder for less pay. Post-Vietnam War was no exception, with 70000 Indo-Chinese refugees arriving in Australia since the late 1970’s. Politically the acceptance of war time refugees into Australia, has put the Australian government in a good image with other countries, this acceptance of refugees and migrants has strengthened Australia’s trade ties with other countries introducing large amounts of Capital Revenue.
The focal issue of this argument is when an Asylum Seeker arrives in Australia without a visa, they are required to stay in detention well beyond the period of time it should take to gather basic information about an asylum claim, health identity or security issues. This can lead to an asylum seeker often being detained for months and sometimes for years. Under the Migration Act (Cth.) 1958 there is no time limit on this detention and only very limited review by the courts is available. The ‘United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty’, rule 11 (b) (UNHCR) considers ‘detention as; confinement within a narrowly bounded or restricted location, where freedom of movement is substantially curtailed, and where the only opportunity
“The thing to remember is that we are all the same inside,” said a young man he spoke to. This is a very important statement because it could actually be the key to preventing further racism. If all Australians could believe this way, we would live in a more peaceful society. Many would argue that Australia, with its large population of overseas born people is a non racist nation. We have suburbs in Sydney which delight all cultures and signify multiculturalism at its best. The Italian’s in Leichardt, Lebanese in Auburn/Bankstown, and Chinese in Cabramatta and Chinatown in the city. Governments and local councils might encourage festivals and awareness through entertainment and local media e.g. Chinese New Year festivals. This is a display which shows that Australian’s are indeed quite accepting of other races. Governing policies such as the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act (1975) aim to ensure that “everyone is treated equally, regardless of their race, colour, descent or nationality or ethnic origin”. According to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship we are processing applications for asylum seekers from war torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The Asylum Seeker Assistance Program is a scheme that has been set up by the government to assist these people with income support, and advice as they wait to gain refugee status. This
For many years refugees have been demonized by the country through the spread of fear and misconception. Furthermore, the disgusting treatment of refugees in the detention camps by the Australian Government has been roundly criticised by the international community.
Unfortunately, the narrative concerning refugees and asylum seekers as presented in the media is an overall negative one. Most of the fear present in Australian society is aggravated by media coverage. When discussing the representation of refugees it is important to take into consideration the language that is used and often associated with refugees. In most discussions presented in the national news, refugees are represented as a threat to
The first boat with refugees to Australia in 1976, there are five men come to Australia in Darwin by boat (Phillips &Spinks 2013). Australia as a human immigrant country and it has policy receive refugees and asylum seekers. Since more and more refugees entered Australia from all over the world such as Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, that the Australia is a multicultural country (UNHCR 2011). There is a small group of people are opposed to refugees, they have prejudice and bias against the refugees (Henderson & Uhlmann 2015). The refugee may face to poor living conditions, they have to leave their home and move to another place which can receive them. Australia is a good choice for refugees due to it can change their life. The small
Good morning delegates of the youth parliament and observing members. Today I stand before you to discuss an issue that continues to evoke high emotions and create deep divisions within Australian society. I refer to the matter of refugees and Australia's immigration policy. Not since the second world war has the world faced such an upheaval with so many people displaced. In 2015 there were 65.3 million people forcibly displaced from their homes because of conflict and persecution. Developing countries hold 84% of refugees while wealthier countries like Australia prioritise the need to reduce asylum seekers within their borders. The current policy contravenes the proper treatment of refugees and asylum seekers; because regardless of their mode of entry, once here Australia has a duty to provide protection.
Asylum seekers have been escaping their hostile countries for decades now, but where are they fleeing to? Not to Australia. With the Australian government forcing asylum seekers to Thailand and other foreign countries, it is lessening the number we, as Australians, have to "deal with", at least that is the government’s plan. Many Australians believe that asylum seekers and refugees don't deserve to come here to Australia, however if those Australians were to be forced to flee Australia due to war, they would support them coming. The point being made is that asylum seekers deserve as much as any Australian. Australia is a free country, and we want the entire world to believe that, so why are we trying to relieve asylum seekers of the joy of
Citizens often thought those people would bring terrorists, unemployment and infrastructure stress. However, refugees will be able to make out importance in affecting the potential social, cultural and economic contributionsupon their area of resettlement. Australia has a long history of accepting refugees for resettlement and over 700 000 refugees. As a consequence, Australia’s offshore humanitarian programme is heralded as one of the best in the world. Accepting more refugees and boat people into the country is one of the greatest contributions that can make to improving the world around us and enhancing our own living standards. In addition, by having more people in country there are more people to cooperate with, more people to trade with and more people to grow the market. They help supply the economy through participating in the labour market and bring with them diversity, new work approaches and funds. As our wealth and economy grows there is more money for the finer things in life.
Another technique used in the documentary to challenge the viewers’ assumptions was the use of narration to present facts about the refugee situation. These facts and figures give the viewers a truthful and realistic picture of the situation. Some beliefs that exist in Australian society are that we are taking in too many refugees; they are criminals, they are taking over Australia, using Australian tax payers’ money and changing our culture. However, we are presented with facts and figures that change our assumptions. For example, more than 30 million people have fled their homes with nothing but the clothes they wear, boat smugglers charge up to and over $10, 000 US dollars, 13, 000 refugees are accepted annually only 2,000 of those refugees arrive by boat. Despite what many people think, like Raye who believed refugees in Australia are “handed everything on a gold platter,” life in detention centres is hard. In Villawood Detention Centre, over 9 months, three detainees committed suicide and 18 caused self-harm.
Can you imagine that your little town is being attacked or even a natural disaster may be occurring and you have nowhere to go? What would you do? How would you survive? You would have to flee your home away from the tragic disaster. You would have no place to call home and all you would have is the clothes on your back. Some in the process of leaving their town never get to see their family again and are lucky if they survive. This is why I believe that refugees should be allowed into the United States under certain conditions. These include having a positive background, being eligible for a job and respecting our nation as well as the people in it. As the US turns refugees away, thousands of lives are being taken away. We could easily help them by taking them into our country. Although some people that enter the country may commit crimes, that doesn’t mean we should turn all of them away. It would cause way more harm than good. Most crimes that happen in the United States are caused by the people that are US citizens rather than the refugees. All of these innocent lives are just being taken away and as many Americans sit back and do nothing about it. When we could be out there saving lives. Our country has to step in and do something about this serious situation. There are solutions we could use to solve these problems by making sure all people that enter this country are good at heart. Outside of very few exceptions our country is mainly made up of refugees and
According to UNHCR, a refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries. When people flee their own country, and seek sanctuary in another country, they apply for asylum – the right to be recognized as a refugee and receive legal protection and material assistance. An asylum seeker must demonstrate that his or her fear of persecution in his or her home country is
Asylum seekers in Australia always been the focal point of negative political concern for a long time. To stop asylum seekers continue arriving in Australia by boat, Australia enforces the policy of obligatory detention of asylum seekers, unauthorised asylum seekers arriving by boat will be sent to Papua New Guinea camp where operated by the Australian government (‘Asylum seekers: Australia’s shame’ 2017). However, this policy was reported as disgraceful because of the deficient living condition, indefinite and arbitrary of detention and lack of health care (United Nations 2017). Cohen (2011 p. 242) stated that moral panic could be more likely to develop in anything associated with 'immigration, migrants, multicultural absorption, refugees, border controls and asylum seekers’. Is Australia's response to asylum seekers an example of moral panic? By analysing the five criteria from the moral panic theory by looking at the Australian public reaction to asylum seekers with references support, it could be found that the reaction to asylum seekers in Australia is an example of moral panic.