Australia's Attitude And Policies Towards Refugees example essay topic

.".. For those who " ve come across the seas, We " ve boundless plains to share... ". [Advance Australia Fair] Did you know that our national anthem states those exact words? Isn't it ironic? No countries in the world have gone to such lengths to close their borders to those fleeing repression and terror.

No countries turn back leaky fishing boats packed with hundreds of asylum seekers and refuse to take responsibility for the consequences. And no countries so openly violate their international obligations to refugees... That is to say, no countries except Australia. There are over 14 million refugees worldwide. In 2001, 13545 people applied for refugee status in Australia. The sad truth is that only 15% were successful.

That's approximately 2000 people, or 0.01% of the world's refugees. So what happened to the other 11000 desperate applicants? These people were sent back to the countries they feared most- the countries they had to flee for fear of persecution. Who knows what became of these people? Who even knows if they " re alive or dead? In 2002, Australia had 0.3% of the world's population living on 5% of the world's land mass.

It had the world's third-lowest population density at 2.6 people per square kilometre, with the global average being 45 people / sq km. It is, however, a dry continent with fragile ecology, yet with a 60,000 km coastline, Australia could accommodate 50 new cities, each with an average population of 1.5 million and spaced 1200 km apart, which still doesn't exceed 45 people / sq km. Under international law, the word 'refugee' has a very precise meaning: an individual who has a well-founded fear of persecution, is outside the country they normally reside in, and is unable or unwilling to return home for fear of persecution. These people rarely have the chance to make plans for their departure and often they have little idea about where they are going. Refugees who come to Australia frequently hold a scant understanding about this country and the nature of society here.

They come because they desire their freedom. To seek asylum is their right, they are not breaking the law in any way. Article 1 in the United Nations declaration of human rights says, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood". Accordingly, it is morally right and humane to accept more refugees into Australia. Also, Australia has an obligation under international law to protect people fleeing persecution.

(As set out in the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to Refugees). Australia has also committed itself to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), which includes the right to seek and enjoy asylum in other countries. As a signatory to the Convention, Australia is responsible for guaranteeing that those with refugee status enjoy equal rights to Australian citizens. One question that I urge you to thoroughly consider is, "How can Australia be ignoring these world-wide conventions and have no legal consequences for their actions?" While Australia cannot solve the world's constant refugee problem, it could do more to ease those dilemmas and help itself in the process: economically, culturally, and in terms of raising its international prestige. The United Nation bodies, Amnesty and leaders of other developed countries have condemned Australia's attitude and policies towards refugees. Negative headlines such as "The discrepancy between how Australia presents itself and reality is becoming clear" have surfaced in the UK.

A bonus is that higher immigration actually lowers unemployment levels. The average infrastructure cost of housing, hospitals, workplaces, roads, schools etc for accommodating a new family in 2002 - either Australian-born or a migrant family - is $475,000. This infrastructure requires the work of approximately 12 people for a year on average weekly earnings. Therefore, if the adult migrant couple both worked in Australia after settling, they create approximately 10 jobs for Australian citizens! Different refugees reflect different cultures and religions.

By allowing these people to assimilate into the Australian culture, our society is thus enriched by all the different elements that these cultures bring. Furthermore, the great success of Australia's immigration policies of the past fifty years has been the diversity of our migrant intake, and in not allowing one single group to represent more than a small part of the total population. In conclusion, whilst refugee rights might be an extremely emotive issue that separates the nation's beliefs, the policy on refugee intake needs to be reconsidered on the basis of: moral and humane grounds; the need for Australia to grow economically and culturally; and to improve our relationship with International bodies and other countries. All figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2002 (UNHCR).