The issue of Asylum seekers has been considered as one of the controversial issues in Australia due to the implementation of the Federal governments’ harsh and stringent policy against boat refugees, who flee from their countries because of violence or persecution. It is stated that this hard line approach aims to curb the influx of illegal immigrants thereby making Australian Immigration System credible and strong (Anderson & Iggulden 2016). According to Refugee Convention 1954, Australia, a signatory under United Nation(UN) Refugee Agency, is regarded as one of the generous country in dealing with the protection and rights of refugees and has created a meritorious history of accepting asylum seekers from all over the world (Refugee …show more content…
Besides this, it also meant to analyze and scrutinize people whether they are following an orderly queue or not (Cox 2015).
However, it is argued that that as one of the signatories of the Refugee Convention to the United Nation (UN), Australia has a moral obligation to protect the human rights of all asylum seekers, despite the reasons for their arrival and whether they arrive with or without a valid visa (Australian Human Rights Commission 2015). Hence it is clear that being a signatory of Refugee Convention Laws, the opposition has a legal commitment to guarantee the safety of asylum seekers. Another point worth noting is that when compared to the resettlement of refugees in Australia (57,362) to other countries, the top10 countries hosting refugees were in third world countries ; Turkey (2.5 million), Pakistan(1.6 million) ,Lebanon(1.1 million)and the remaining countries were in Africa. It is noticeable that, the resettled refugees accounted for about.99% of the global total of 14 million people and Australia has ranked 26th overall and 46th in terms of GDP (ABC News 2016).
Some people believe that asylum seekers are jumping out of the queue to come to Australia to seek asylum. However, it is truly a misconception that the people seeking asylum are queue jumpers. It is necessary to point that there is no orderly ‘queue’ to the resettlement of refugees. Only a
Every year, thousands of people seek refuge in Australia after being forced to flee their homes. Under the UN 1951 Refugee convention, countries are obliged to protect refugees and basic human rights must be upheld. However, Australia is violating these laws. As of August 2013, a report by the Australian Human Rights
The resettlement of refugees in Australia is a controversial topic; many people believe that they come here to commit crime, change our culture and steal our jobs. ‘The Happiest Refugee’ has enhanced my belief that refugees should be allowed to live in Australia. I believe that refugees are here to escape war and persecution; they are not criminals, nor do they want to change our culture or steal our jobs. Refugees are generally grateful for their new lives in Australia and they embrace our culture. ‘The Happiest Refugee’ is a source of evidence that supports this.
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
“My hope finished now. I don’t have any hope. I feel I will die in detention.” Unaccompanied 17 year old, Phosphate Hill Detention Centre, Christmas Island, 4 March 2014. Few social justice issues in Australia have attracted as much attention and controversy in recent times as the issue of asylum seekers. An asylum-seeker ‘is an individual who has sought international protection and whose claim for refugee status has not yet been determined’. In contrast, a refugee is an individual whose protection has been deemed necessary by the UNHCR or a State who is a signatory to the Refugee Convention. The issues surrounding asylum seeker has divide opinions and evoke strong emotional responses across the community. We are aware that asylum seekers are often vulnerable people, desperately fleeing civil unrest, warfare and persecution from across the world. We know that Australia is a destination of choice for many people seeking to embark on a new life in safety. And we know that there are people who will exploit the vulnerability of asylum seekers by offering them unsafe passage by sea to our shores. There were 584 children detained in immigration detention centres on mainland Australia and 305 children on Christmas Island. A further 179 children were detained on Nauru as at 31 March 2014.
Political unrest and local war happens around the world all the time. Many people live in a dangerous situation and suffered from violence. Hence, large amount of asylum seeker undertakes a huge perilous, try to cross the ocean and arrive Australia. To deal with this issue, Australian government enacted mandatory detention policy and offshore processing policy, these policies become highly contentious in the community with many arguments and criticisms. This report will focus on the nature and purpose of these immigration policies and the impact towards the asylum seeker as well as the criticism form international. To propose some advice about how the future policies should be framed.
In May 2013, the Government made some extension in policy to apply to asylum seekers who arrive by boat anywhere in Australia. Under this system, Asylum seekers who have arrived by boat must be transferred to the third country. Additionally, if these people transferred to third country then their claims of protection will be processed under this country’s law. Reciprocally, if asylum seekers who arrive by boat are allowed by the minister to remain in Australia, then their claims will be processes under Australian law. However, as of June 2013, Australian Government has not yet started processing any claims by asylum seekers, who arrived after 13 August, 2013. This was the step taken by former government maybe under the pressure of its own people who are Australians. As far as Australians are concerned, it is true that Australians are racist and they won’t people of other countries to come and live in their country. Racism can be seen in clubs and pubs where those Australian see other people with angrily and heatedly. Even though, Racism factor is present in Australia; but still it is a beautiful and safe country. Meanwhile, as far as the Australians views are concerned in regarding to asylum seekers who arrive on boats or any other way to
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.
The term ‘illegal immigrants’ is a term used by the media to manipulate public opinion and thereby attempt to change or shape government policy. Asylum seekers are not terrorists wishing to corrupt the Australian way of life, but simply victims of western imperial aggression seeking safety in Australian
“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)
Gordon concludes and summarises his article by demonstrating how the government continues to commit to using mandatory detention and third-country processing to deal with the asylum seeker crisis. His tone during the later stages of the piece is informative, attacking and optimistic about changing how asylum seekers should be dealt with. Gordon offers a solution, that the Australian government can use the failure of the Malaysia deal to change its ideologies and “take a different path”. He asserts that even after ten years of consistent trouble with arriving boats and asylum seekers, the Australian government, both Liberal and Labor are missing the quality that has been ignored over the duration of the entire period, compassion. Their focus of policy is the illegal processing of people smuggling and the means of reaching Australia and Gordon demonstrates
Devastated by war and violence, a mother listens to the desperate cries of her young one’s yearning for the feel of solid land underneath their feet. Imagine living in a world where you are forced to leave your country and seek refuge in another, all because of a war that you did not start, yet are forced to endure the consequences of. A world where mothers, daughters, fathers and sons have no choice other than to travel across a dangerous ocean where they are at risk of being raped by pirates or drowning in endless sea of blue, never to be seen again. This world is soon to arrive on Australia’s door step. This beautiful country that we call home prides itself on being a safe haven for asylum seekers.
Australia, one of the countries which drafted the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has been criticized by its asylum seekers policies in recent years. This criticism comes from public medias and NGOs both inside and outside of the countries and exerts pressure for the Australian government and politicians. The discordant opinions toward Australia’s asylum seekers policies caused intense domestic as well as international relationship of Australia, and the medias play as an important inflammatory role during the recent process.
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.
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.
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.