There is a better way! A thought on Australian asylum seeker issue
“If the protecting of our borders requires the incarceration of babies, the sexual abuse of children, the rape of women and the murder of men, then we are of all nations the most depraved.” This emotive statement from a man of the church, Father Rod Bower, touches a nerve with many of Australians. It is an acid test on our national consciousness. The shock of disturbed beliefs pushes us to reassess the foundation of our values.
Asylum seeker issue is a complex and continuing struggle between the heart and the head. It will continue to haunt us as long as Australia shines to be an oasis of space, peace and prosperity in a global sea of overcrowding and escalating suffering.
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As a signatory to the UN 1951 refugee convention, we have already agreed, not to return asylum seekers or to detain them indefinitely. In 2001, the Tampa incident brought disrepute to us as we failed to take the right action. Another wave of backlash irrupted when Indonesian fishing vessel codenamed SEIV X sank in northern waters. The UN is highly critical on the practice of mandatory detention over long periods. As a law abiding nation, we need to keep our citizens well informed of our obligations under UN convention so that we can collectively meet our obligations in true spirit. Once Australians realise that we are providing over 200,000 migrant visas annually and the asylum seekers would occupy less than 2% of it and irrespective of the fears mongered by politicians, almost 93% of asylum seekers who arrived by boat in the have been recognized as “genuine” refugees by Australian authorities and the popular “country shoppers” or “economic migrant” stories do not represent the reality, it is not difficult to develop a national consensus on this ongoing, unavoidable issue in an overpopulated world with a massive imbalance in resource
Watching the documentary “Go Back To Where You Came From” regarding the issues of Asylum Seekers and Refugees, I am disgusted about the way that Australia has been treating Asylum Seekers and Refugees. That is why I am writing you this letter to promote and voice my view on the treatment to refugees, the Stop the Boats Policy and ways to minimise this Issue.
Australia is now facing allegations from the Human Rights Council that it has detained children and sent back refugees, in breach of international law.
Australian people should be opening arms to the Face of Mercy and to the Refugees that are
So what does this mean about our Government? Are they scared of the intake of Refugees? If so, what are they scared of? This contradicts the whole purpose of the Government, aren’t Australians meant to put our trust in leaders to make great decisions, hence we have a Government in the first place? Doctrines such as the Just War Doctrine a Catholic based Law, states that the Government should hold the responsibility for the common good. Yet not every country experiences this, and many Refugees have to flee in order for their freedom and to escape from persecution of their own beliefs, religions and human
One of Australia’s biggest moral wrongdoings that has been continued to be overlooked is the providing of safety for refugees. Under the article 14, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. It is not in anyway, shape or form illegal to seek asylum from maltreatment. Australia is obliged under international law to: offer protection, give support, ensure that any individual is not sent back unwillingly to the country of their origin. A report made by
There have been three main waves of asylum seekers in Australia’s history with the first wave being motivated by the Indochinese crisis and the second comprising of asylum seekers mainly from South China and Cambodia (McK...
The United States fails to protect its borders, while Australia sacrifices human rights in order to do so. Traditionally, first-world countries and their citizens assist those in less developed countries. Many of the island nations in the south pacific suffer from poverty and frequent natural disasters. Most would agree that, as the most developed country in the region, it is Australia’s responsibility to advocate for human rights and contribute to humanitarian efforts for the island nations. To its credit, Australia normally satisfies this role. However, when asylum-seekers come by boat, Australia draws a forceful line. The United States is also tasked with protecting its borders, but takes a more appropriate approach. In 2012, the PEW research
The conditions of Australia’s immigration detention policies have also been cause for concern for probable contraventions of Articles 7 and 10 of the ICCPR. Whilst in Sweden, asylum seekers are afforded free housing whilst their applications are being processed, Australia’s methods are much more callous. Under the Pacific Solution, maritime asylum seekers are sent to impoverished tropical islands with no monitoring by human rights organisations allowed (Hyndman and Mountz, 2008). The UNHCR criticised Australia’s offshore processing centres stating that “significant overcrowding, cramped living quarters, unhygienic conditions, little privacy and harsh tropical climate contribute to the poor conditions of… Nauru and Papua New Guinea” (Morales
Nowadays, United States is the country that has variety of cultures, races, etc. mixing together by having immigrants in their countries. However, they need to control these group of people also. More people out of country are trying to stay in the U.S. However, this is not an easy process to deal with. There is an immigrant policy that they have to go through. In the past, United States is wide open for people to settle down on this land. There is no process of immigrants. However, in the middle of 1840 to 1880, immigrants started to come in the U.S. such as Irish and Chinese because of demanding of unskilled and cheap labors. In the 1920, automation replaced unskilled labors as a result immigrant’s policy is limited quotas for immigrants
During the month of October, Canada’s political scene was very busy due to the 2015 federal election held on the 19th. Throughout the previous months, the public held great interest towards the campaigns of each party as well as their platforms in order to choose the party that the public wanted as the new government of Canada. In the campaigns, a major topic that was included in every party’s plan was the Syrian refugee crisis that is currently an issue in many countries around the globe. This crisis has taken the media by storm and is a concern for many citizens in Canada. As a country known to be peaceful and generous, many people would assume that Canada would be one of the first to step in and help those in need but that is not the case. The general population does not know that the current laws in place make becoming a refugee in Canada a long and unfair process. Acquiring refugee status in Canada, protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, health care for refugees and the current stance of Canada in regards to the refugee crisis are all factors that the general public must be more aware about. The current laws regarding refugees of Canada must change.
It was the event that strengthened both constituents and politicians’ perception of outsiders as threats. Additionally, the media played into the exagerration. Both articles showed that public opinion changed to reflect this fear of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in both countries. For example, two-thirds of Canadians and three-quarters of Australians supported the idea of stronger control of borders to deter terrorists from entering (Adelman 15; Hugo 37). Thomas Faist argues that this inclination to tighten up borders due to the perception of threat of migrants is “inconclusive” (Faist 10). This excuse is used to circumvent the “stereotypes about cultural fears and clashes” (Faist 8) citizens have of outsiders. Although the policies of both states were critizied by people, including lawyers and organizations, it is key to note that enough people supported and even elected representatives that introduced and ratified such
“Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human History. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation’s history. The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future. We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians” (apology by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, 16th November 2009, Parliament House, Canberra.)
Immigration is the greatest part of American history. In the beginning, Immigrants brought a vast variety of cultures and beliefs and turned America in to the beauty it is today. Immigrants are still doing this. However, the issue with immigration can be it 's illegal status. Many undocumented immigrants are entering this country causing questions among the American citizens. Rather than asking if this is right or wrong, a solution can be found. Illegal immigrants come here for a purpose and can be helped with this purpose. Most come fleeing persecution, although some come here for more demented reasons. Those, illegal immigrants will be done away with. However, Those immigrants who come here for pure reasons need to be taken Care of in proper
With the recent Paris attacks and rumors of foreboding ISIS attacks, the topic of immigration comes up quite often in conversations. Topics such as how the immigrants should be dealt with, what exactly are the benefits and/or detriments of immigration, Donald Trump’s immigration plan, et cetera are usually discussed. With immigration gradually becoming a trending issue, various people have expressed their thoughts through means like social media and news sites. Joining this movement, this will be another text on the topic of immigration. The benefits of immigration will be presented, false information will be proven wrong, and why some people oppose immigration will be explained and discussed. Immigration should be widely accepted rather than
Another casual night: the air is sticky, and the water is scarce, all throughout the country the sound of gunshots are ringing through the air. For most people, this “casual” night is beyond their wildest imagination, but for Syrians it is an ongoing nightmare. Faced with the trauma of a civil war, Syrian refugees seek protection and a more promising future than the life they currently live in their oppressive country. Many seek refuge in other Middle East countries like Turkey and Jordan, but others search for hope in the icon of freedom, the United States of America. However, in America, there is an ongoing debate about whether or not Syrian refugees should be accepted. America needs to accept the Syrian refugees because if they do not, the