Why Do We Need Asylums?

Throughout the world, there is an estimate of about 65.3 million refugees that have either been forced out of their homes or chose to willingly escape the violence or corruption they faced in their homeland. Of those millions of people, only a small percentage are given the status of refugee as many nations have strict requirements and only allow a specific amount each year. This leads to an increase in the amount of illegal immigration as many are desperate to risk their lives to for a better one then they had back home. Even as refugees are given asylum, many often face difficulties such as discrimination due to the racial stereotypes that exist as a result of negative depictions in the news and media. Although nations have generally become more open to receiving and providing aid for a significant amount of refugees seeking asylum, people’s ideology of race and the misrepresentation of the media towards immigrants prevent an even larger amount of refugees from being accepted into society.

Asylum seekers who are held in mandatory and indefinite detention for prolonged periods of time

A refugee is a person who was forced to leave their country. Whether it be from warfare or natural disaster, their homes are no longer safe to live in, so they need to relocate elsewhere. Once someone sets foot on the journey of becoming a refugee, they become vulnerable and dependent with no sense of what the future will bring. In an attempt to accommodate them, first world countries with the resources necessary to assist these refugees, are struggling to determine whether or not they should step-in and help. Some argue that taking them in could come with excessive consequences, while others believe they could be assets. Although there may be a few consequences, they are outweighed by the benefits and undeniable severity of the situation.

“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 these detention centers, immigrants are often denied medical care, even if they are very ill, and served poor quality food and drinks. They are treated like criminals, yet have not been charged with criminal offenses (Werner). Since 2003, ninety people have died in immigration custody. Many immigrants in the detention centers are also often neglected lawyers. Oftentimes, people are waiting six months for a twenty-minute asylum interview (Hendricks). As a result of rights not being withheld, immigrants are getting unfair treatment.

Asylum seekers or refugees have fled their countries’ due to volatile circumstances such as war, or fear of prosecution. Upon arrival in Australia they are moved to detention centres. Detention centres hold people who have come without a visa, any non-national and all unauthorised boat arrivals (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2014). These centres hold refugees for indefinite periods and in poor conditions. They are used as a spectacle to represent illegality and a threat to Australian society (Marfleet, 2007, p672).

Mandatory detention could result in psychological harm; which has clinical and ethical impacts on refugees, especially for children. This research stated that in

It is evident children held in detention centres shows a significantly higher level of mental health deterioration and issues than Australian children. The levels of mental distress among children is confirmed by the high rate of self-harm. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection confirmed that from January 2013 to March 2014, 128 children in detention engaged in self-harm, with over 170 children threating to commit self-harm. It is clear that children are so unhappy with the treatment inflicting on them in these detention centres that they are resulted to self-harm.

Travelling to Australia for refuge may not even have been a decision they had made for themselves, if they are even considered able to make this decision. Some of the children currently residing in detention centres around Australia and offshore were born there. There is a section in the ‘Forgotten Children’ report on the views of children in detention. Detention was consistently described as a ‘prison’ by the children (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2014, p.68). When asked to describe the experience, the responses were significantly negative (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2014, p.69). While the Australian Government is right in preventing any further children from being detained, the health and wellbeing of the children currently living in detention needs to be ensured. It cannot be right to let children live in prison-like conditions because of a choice that someone has made for them. The conditions between different centres is not consistent (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2014, p.69) therefore a standard of living should be implemented to guarantee a respectable level of health and wellbeing for the children living in

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

In today’s society where most of us are sheltered physically and emotionally, have we ever stopped to think about the unfortunate ones who have been forced to live their lives differently? We are often carried away with basking in our riches that we forget to take a moment to think for those who aren’t as lucky as us. What else can we call those who have nowhere to go and nothing to do— no place to call home, no job to call an occupation, no purpose to speak of? With more people being forced out of their homelands to seek greener grass on the other side, refugee rates are on a constant rise.

Humanity as a whole is deceived by our governments that in an event of a humanitarian crisis we will take in the refugees and provide a safe and secure environment. At this very moment millions of refuges are fleeing their countries because of a fear of persecution due to religion, race, nationality, political views or membership to a social group. Internationally displaced people, whether they are fleeing their country because of natural disaster or generalized violence, are considered under the 1951 convention as refugees have the right under United Nations law to enter a country of choice seeking asylum. All countries that have signed the United Nations contract have to abide by this law, but in the extreme case countries are denying the basic right of living to a group of persons trying to enter their country.

The purpose of refugee camps is to provide a safe place for people who escaped a war torn area and give them food, shelter, water, care, and an education. Some refugee camps provide many kids with a nice school to go to so that they can receive a basic education. A couple other camps have nicer buildings for people to stay, but with others they have to stay in a abandoned jail cells, garages, and even shipping containers. But at least they are safer than they were in their old homes. While most camps are very safe some have high crime rates. Another bad thing about refugee camps is that disease can spread like wildfire through the refugee camps. But overall, refugee camps provide people fleeing war torn areas with many necessities.

One of the benefits of volunteering in a refugee center is that it can help us recognize how vital refugee centers are. [Many newscast sources like CNN, BBC and NBC have revealed to us how people are treated in their own country. People are forced out of their countries and are persecuted due to the religion they choose to practice, as well as other factors like war or natural disasters.] According to www.global footprints.org many of these people’s human rights cannot be protected by the government. It states, “ The issue of Human Rights is central to refugees status. People only become refugees because one or more of their basic human rights are abused.” They not only lose their basic human rights, personal belongings, family and friends are also a loss for them. Recognizing problems refugees face in other countries is imperative to know because then we realize those centers are their only hope. Therefore