out on a limb

Australia has been battling what our media describe as boat people for the last ten years. It seems both sides of the political spectrum are happy to score points with conservative, middle class voters who feel these people are a drain on our nation and someone elses problem. I love Australia, and much of what it stands for; but I think the way we perceive and treat refugees reveals a lot about our self-obsession and subtle racism.

Most global economists have noted that Australia has lost the least and recovered quickest of all western nations from the GFC: thus we’re surely best positioned to assist those who are genuine refugees. Not only that, we have a proud tradition of immigration that has seen us become a multicultural society, though one with tensions.

Lets not be a nation of arrogant, cowering racists. Lets not villify people born into circumstances less than us. Lets remember that we’re taking the liberties and freedoms that our soldiers died for, away from these people. Lets also remember that we reap what we sow, and in our lifetime, it might be India or China rescuing Australian boat people.

The following is orignally taken from a fact sheet by GetUp, an activist group here in Australia. You might not agree with my assessment, but at least in reading this, you’ll be slightly more informed.

Who are asylum seekers? The terms ‘asylum seeker’ and ‘refugee’ are often confused: an asylum seeker issomeone who has fled their home and is seeking protection from another countrystating that he or she is a refugee, but whose claim has not yet been evaluated(1). In Australia, asylum seekers must prove they are refugees before they are granted avisa. They must prove to government agencies that if they return home they facepersecution, imprisonment or harm for reasons of race, religion, nationality, their socialgroup or political opinion.

Myth 1 – Australia takes in more than its fair share of asylum seekers
Contrary to what the media and many politicians are saying, Australia is not being swamped by asylum seekers. From January to August this year, Australia took inbelow average numbers of asylum seekers compared to previous years and globalintakes(2). The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has calculated that Australia?s fair share for the first 6 months of 2009 should be 4,197 rather than the 3,666 we have taken so far.(3) In comparison Canada, which has a population of just over 33 million compared to Australia?s 22 million, received 6 times the number of lodged applications (18,722).(4)
In a global context, the average rate of asylum seeker intake according to population ranks Australia 20th out of 44 countries worldwide, behind countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Malta which tops the list.(5)

Myth 2 – Boat people are swamping our shores
The vast majority of asylum seekers arrive in Australia by air. Last year, of the 13,500 people granted asylum in Australia only 206 of those arriving without visas came by boat; 2,291 came by plane – well over 90%.(7)There is also data to suggest that people who arrive by boat are more likely to be legitimate refugees. Of asylum claims made by people who arrive by aircraft, 55% are rejected. Only 2-15% of claims made by people arriving by boat are denied.(8)

This number is also small when compared to the number of people who over-stay their visa in Australia each year, particularly those on travelling visas, the majority of whom are English-speaking tourists. Conservative estimates suggest that, on average, 50,000 people stay in Australia without the proper documentation each year(9).

Some media have been misquoting data that last year 13,500 asylum seekers were granted refugee status. The Department for Immigration & Citizenship has responded that the vast majority of these in fact came to Australia on valid visas as part ofAustralias dedicated offshore refugee resettlement program or were proposed as special humanitarian program entrants - largely, they were not asylum seekers, withover 11,000 visas granted before entry to Australia through proper processes.(11)

Myth 3 – the Government?s changes in policy have made Australia a soft target

2,504 people lodged asylum applications in Australia from January to June this year,an increase on the same time last year, and this increase is in line with global trends.(12) However these numbers are far below those in 2000 and 2001. In 2000, there were over 13,000 claims in the first half of the year, with over 12,000 in 2001.(13) This highlights the continuing fluctuations globally in the number of people seeking asylum caused by changing world events that force people from their homes.
While some are claiming that the abolition of detention debt (in August 2009) and temporary protection visas (August 2008) have made Australia look like a soft target, this isnt the case. Since temporary protection visas (TPVs) were introduced in 1999, they have had very little impact on the number of people seeking asylum in Australia.
In the two years following its introduction over 8,455 asylum seekers arrived in Australia by boat(15) compared to the 2,504 people this year.They have also had very little impact on the number of people being granted refugee status. According to the Department for Immigration and Citizenship, nearly 90% of the people allocated temporary protection visas were granted a visa that gave them Australian residency. Only 3% (or 379 people) granted temporary protection visas departed Australia.(16)

Myth 4 – Refugees are a burden on our economy
Refugees offer potential for our economy – they are not a burden. Claims that refugees cost the taxpayer $628 million were made by some media sources in the last week, but they are baseless, with Centrelink, the government department in charge of providing welfare, stating that there is simply no data to support this figure.(17)
Centrelink also highlights that only about 3% of Centrelink customers who were in receipt of a Newstart Allowance income support payment at 30 June 2009 held a refugee and humanitarian or permanent protection visa.(18) The Department for Immigration and Citizenship states that immigration currently provides 60% of our population growth, but within the next few years it will be the only source of net labour force growth in Australia.(19)

Myth 5 – Boats are bringing terrorists to our shores
Some politicians have stated that arrivals of boats are likely to be a perfect cover for terrorists entering Australia.(20) In reality, the threat of terrorists entering the country in this way has been described by counter-terrorism experts as infinitesimally small.(21) Asylum seekers arriving by boat may face years of delay before gaining entry into Australia – as opposed to those arriving by air. All asylum seekers arriving in Australia undergo thorough security checks from ASIO in conjunction with Indonesia. Comparisons with the US found that those involved in the terrorist activities of September 11 arrived on valid US visas.(21)

Myth 6 – Asylum seekers are illegal immigrants
Under the Refugee Convention, which Australia has signed, all people have the right to seek asylum in Australia.(22)
They may be found to be genuine refugees, and they may not – but seeking asylum is not illegal under Australian law or international law. The term illegal immigrant, just like the term queue jumper, is designed to make asylum seekers seem alien and unworthy of sympathy.

1 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c137.html
2 - UNHCR - Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries First Half 2009:http://www.unhcr.org/4adebca49.html
3 - Crikey, ?When it comes to asylum seekers, Australia is no Malta? October 19th 2009:http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/19/when-it-comes-to-asylum-seekers-australia-is-no-malta/
4 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: http://www.unhcr.org/4adebca49.html
5 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – The refugee story in statistics:http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c4d6.html
6 - Crikey, When it comes to asylum seekers, Australia is no Malta? October 19th 2009:Graph 2
7 - ABC Media Watch – Welfare & Refugees, 26th October 2009:http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2724620.htm
8 - Crikey: http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/15/latest-wave-of-boat-people-push-or-pull/
9 - Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Hartcher At last, we have a real leader - pity that it’s not Rudd:http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/at-last-we-have-a-real-leader–pity-that-its-not-rudd-20091028-hl00.html
10 - ABC Media Watch – Welfare & Refugees, 26th October 2009 – Channel 9 News:http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2724620.htm
11 - Response from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to Media Watch, 22nd October, 2009: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0938_immigration.pdf
12 - The Australian, ?Liberals wrong on refugees? http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25339551-5013457,00.html
13 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries First Half 2009: http://www.unhcr.org/4adebca49.html
14 - Parliament of Australia, Parliamentary Library: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bn/sp/BoatArrivals.htm
15 - Parliament of Australia, Parliamentary Library: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bn/sp/BoatArrivals.htm
16 - Response from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to Media Watch, 22nd October, 2009: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0938_immigration.pdf
17 - Response from Centrelink to Media Watch, 22nd October 2009:http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0938_centrelink2.pdf
18 - Response from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to Media Watch, 22nd October, 2009 – 5.Centrelink: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0938_immigration.pdf
19 - Department of Immigration & Citizenship - Fact Sheet 15 - Population Projections:http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/15population.htm
20 - ?Terrorists ?hiding? with boat people?, Daily Telegraph, October 23rd 2009:http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/terrorists-hiding-with-boat-people/story-e6freuy9-1225790211002
21 - Dr Michael McKinley quoted in SMH article ?Rudd slams Tuckey’s ‘terrorist’ asylum seeker comments?, October 22nd 2009: http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudd-slams-tuckeys-terrorist-asylum-seeker-comments-20091022- hamt.html
22 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: http://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.html