We can have a Refugee policy to be proud of - 25th June 2014
We can
have a refugee policy that we can all be proud of
· THEO
THEOPHANOUS
· HERALD
SUN
· JUNE 25, 2014
WE can have a humane and
ethically defendable asylum seeker policy that also discourages boat arrivals
in this country. One that deals with the key issues of turning back boats,
offshore processing, third country settlement and temporary/permanent
protection visas.
To achieve it, we all need to take a step back, rethink the
problem through clear analysis free of political dogma and adopt measures most
Australians would see as fair, humane, effective and sensible.
I believe that most Australians are intelligent, tolerant and
humane. We can be proud that while other countries struggle with immigration,
we have embraced it; while they give lip service to multiculturalism, we
practice it.
The one blight on our reputation remains our harsh treatment of
the relatively small number of asylum seekers who make it here by boat.
So what would a policy based on fairness, humane principles and
practical outcomes look like?
First, it’s fair enough to say to anyone thinking about coming to
Australia by boat that under our tough new rules, even if they make it, they
will never be settled here. It is a deterrent that can save lives and is
justified on that basis.
But surely it is unfair to apply those rules retrospectively to
those who didn’t receive such warnings and who embarked on their journey in the
expectation that they would eventually be settled here. To keep these people in
harsh conditions and tell them that they have no hope of settlement is unjust.
There are about 5700 adults and 1020 children in detention centres
in onshore and offshore facilities, including Manus Island and Nauru, who were
not forewarned. We should process and settle the genuine asylum seekers in
Australia and, with dramatically reduced numbers in detention, we could
potentially close Manus Island and Nauru, saving the Federal Budget a
considerable sum.
Second, we need to agree on turn-back and resettlement measures to
discourage new asylum seekers from risking theirs and their family’s lives. The
ALP must accept that the policy of turning back boats, harsh as it is, coupled
with a policy of no chance of settlement in Australia, has stemmed the flow of
boats and has some moral validity, especially for future arrivals.
But there must be limits. We can maintain a
no-settlement-in-Australia policy for new arrivals, including turning back some
boats, but we should try to achieve it with the understanding, if not
agreement, of Indonesia.
It is morally bankrupt for a First World country such as Australia
to seek to settle such people in some of the world’s poorest Third World
countries, such as Cambodia or PNG. Instead, we should ask countries such as
Singapore and Japan, who should be doing more to accept new boat arrivals, and
explore again the option of asylum seeker swaps with countries like Malaysia.
Surely we can find acceptable alternatives to Cambodia or PNG.
Third, we need to find a way to break the deadlock over the
estimated 13,000 people who are in the community on Bridging Visas but who are
not allowed to work and receive a reduced Centrelink payment. It is a huge
drain on our welfare system and makes no sense in productivity terms.
The Abbott Government wants to reintroduce Temporary Protection
Visas but the Opposition has hitherto opposed them on the basis of the
uncertainty it creates for refugees.
We need to find a midway point that gives genuine refugees hope
while maintaining effective screening. Perhaps TPVs could be granted for a
two-year period with work rights and after that, if the conditions that led to
the granting of asylum still exist in the person’s country of origin, and no
crimes have been committed, they are given permanent residency.
FOURTH, Australia should accept more asylum seekers wanting to
come through normal processes. The world is a dangerous place and we are lucky
in Australia that we live in a democracy with freedoms and economic resources
that we often take for granted.
Our remoteness and our new tough policies mean that only a small
number of asylum seekers will make it by boat. We should therefore increase our
intake of asylum seekers to help in the intensifying worldwide refugee problem.
Most Australians are troubled by the harsh treatment of existing
asylum seekers in detention who have, after all, committed no crime and who
risked their lives to come here in the reasonable expectation that they would
be processed and eventually settled in Australia. But, while they are
supportive of Australia bearing its fair share, they also want to discourage
new asylum seekers from risking their lives at sea.
Perhaps if we look into our hearts and embrace practical, humane
solutions, we can once again hold our heads high on the international stage as
a country prepared to offer sanctuary to those fleeing war and repression.
Theo Theophanous is a former state government minister
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