Australian Immigration Case Study

There are a number of ways in which the issue of immigration is connected to social justice and equity in rich and democratic nations like Australia. The main implications of this issue is that Australia’s migration policy is unjust for the refugees entering Australia. Australia’s justice system is one of the systems thought to be open for everyone. However, this is not the case for immigrants as they may not have the same access to the justice systems as those given to people of the host country.

For example, refugees fleeing their countries for a better life in Australia are often ‘imprisoned’ in mandatory detention centres - deprived of their human rights and Australia’s legal systems. "Long-term immigration detention causes major mental

health problems, is illegal in international law and arguably fits the recognised definition of torture," Professor Isaacs said. These detention centres also implicate unequitable issues as most of these centres like Phosphate Hill Detention Centre (found in Christmas Island) are fairly small and heavily guarded. People must be escorted on their (fairly limited) excursions . Nearly all of these imprisoned migrants are eventually denied access to the country because of ‘minor’ things such as not presenting the proper paperwork. Children are also vulnerable. "There was constant bullying and humiliation, and children and adults coming to the medical centre were referred to by their boat numbers’’ “The average length of detention of the children and families was 14 months and they were still not told when applications for asylum would be processed”. Amnesty international has reported that the centres are so small that even children don’t have enough space to play. As such, there is no social justice and equity present for these people.

The implications of having an influx of migrants in the country also denies equity and to some extent, justice for people of the host country. Australians who are less educated and less skilled will see their wages and job opportunities decline in the face of immigrant competition. This can be seen as less just and equitable as allowing relatively unlimited immigration puts burdens on the people already in Australia. These implications therefore often negatively reflect Australia as being socially unjust and unequitable towards migrants.