GRAPHIC: Green silhouette of Australia with a black silhouette of a family overlaid on a plain yellow background. Graphic by The Signal Editor-in-Chief Miles Shellshear. — Green silhouette of Australia with a black silhouette of a family overlaid on a plain yellow background. Graphic by The Signal Editor-in-Chief Miles Shellshear.

CONTRIBUTION: Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Australia

By Contributor Last updated Apr 25, 2022 216 0

This article was contributed by Maria Delgado, social work major.

Who are they and what issues do they face?

Individuals flee their home countries for numerous reasons, but all refugees and asylum seekers have one thing in common: the need for safety and security and they hope to find that in another country. Traveling and uprooting an entire family is a feat of its own, can you imagine traveling elsewhere only to be redirected to an “offshore processing camp”? This is what several hundreds of refugees and asylees face when they arrive in Australia.

Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1984 recognizes the right of persons seeking asylum from persecution in other countries. In 2001, the Pacific Solution was ordained in Australia, which permitted the transportation of asylum seekers who arrived by boat to offshore islands instead of Australian mainland. Under this law, 1,637 asylum seekers were diverted by Australian authorities to Nauru, or Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, while their refugee status was being processed.

So, what is the issue with these offshore sites? Let’s start with the poor conditions the refugees are forced to live in. The detention center on Nauru is built on an old mine, tainting the air, leading to health issues, including asthma. The tents are old, moldy, and only a few have cooling systems which are reserved for families with little children. Aside from health issues, the lack of access to education is also an issue. In the camps of Nauru and Papua New Guinea, individuals are treated poorly by those in charge. Most individuals will spend six years on these sites with no update on their refugee status.

The US Government has agreed to take about 1,200 qualifying recognized refugees. Originally, Nauru only granted five-year visas but has since moved to twenty-year visas, allowing some men to rebuild their lives on the island. In October 2021, Australia ended their deal with Papua New Guinea to house refugees, giving those refugees the option to move to Nauru or resettle in the U.S. After nine years of refusal, Australia has finally accepted a longstanding New Zealand offer on March 24, 2022 which will allow the resettlement of up to 450 refugees. This is a huge victory in the fight for human rights, but there is still work to be done.

What can you do to help?

Here are three Non-Governmental Organizations that you can support and/or follow on Instagram.

Friends of Refugees (@friendsofrefugeesau): This NGO was established in 2013 and their framework was built on witnessing the harsh reality of individuals living in absolute poverty. Their goal is to provide practical responses to address the complexities and changing needs of asylees and refugees by filling the service gaps that other organizations cannot meet.

Refugee Council of Australia (@refugee_council): This NGO was established in 1981 and is centered around promoting fairer and more humane refugee and asylum policies and to educate the public about the refugee journey and the importance of contribution of refugees and asylees in our communities, workplaces, and nation. They take pride in working directly with refugees which provides a strong connection to the population and allows them to utilize lived experiences to base their work off of.

Foundation House (@foundationhouseaustralia): This NGO was founded in 1987 and has since become a leading Australian agency that focuses on survivors of torture and traumatic events which advertently supports and empowers more than 55,000 individuals from refugee backgrounds. This organization actively supports refugees through various methods that include valuing strengths and capabilities of clients and their communities, promoting and defending human rights, always looking for ways to improve, and remaining independent, which allows them to live their shared values.

Note from the author:

Now that you know a little bit more about asylees and refugees in Australia, I encourage you to support and/or follow any of the three NGOs that were mentioned above. There are still individuals that are stuck in the offshore processing center to this day. Use your voice to help make a difference. Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are the ocean.