AUSTRALIA'S REFUGEE PROGRAM
Facts + Stats
RESPONSE TO WORLD REFUGEE SITUATION
In a world where events seemingly unfold at an ever increasing
rate and more and more people are forced to flee their homes and homelands, there
are a number of responses that a country such as Australia can make:
1. Addressing the root causes of population
movements
It is important that the Australian Government continue to
support bilateral and multilateral initiatives aimed at promoting respect for
human rights and strengthening social institutions so as to prevent the deterioration
of the human rights situation and consequent population displacement. Australian
Government initiatives to date have included:
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sending Parliamentary Human Rights Delegations and engaging in
bilateral discussions on human rights issues |
| • |
participating in multilateral fora, including the UN Commission
of Human Rights and UNHCR's annual meeting of the Executive Committee (Excom) |
| • |
developing the "National Action Plan": Australia was
the first country to respond to the recommendation of the Vienna Declaration that
called on states to produce an overview of their efforts to promote and protect
human rights. It did so by producing its first "National Action Plan"
in 1994. Australia is using the Plan to encourage other states to produce similar
documents. |
Australian non-government agencies (often with AusAID support)
are active in many facets of community development and human rights institution
building in many countries in an effort to avert population displacement.
2. Participating in international peace keeping initiatives
Australia has provided troops for a number of the recent UN
peace keeping initiatives such as East Timor, Rwanda, Somalia, Angola and Cambodia
(but not Bosnia) and advisers (eg on mine clearance) to other areas.
3. Assisting refugees overseas
Australia provides support in a number of ways to refugees
in countries of first asylum and to those repatriating to their homelands.
A number of Australian NGOs work with refugees, including
AUSTCARE, Australian Red Cross, Oxfam, Care Australia, Médecins Sans Frontières,
etc. Much of the NGO work is in cooperation with international partners and/or
indigenous NGOs.
Most of the Australian government aid to refugees is directed
either through UN agencies, in particular UNHCR, or through NGOs. In 2006, Australia
ranked no.18 in the world in terms of total donations to UNHCR with a contribution
of $16 million.
4. Providing resettlement places for refugees
The vast majority of the world's refugees will remain in a
neighbouring state until it is safe for them to return to their country of origin.
For a very small proportion of the refugees, it is either not safe or not possible
for them to be in the neighbouring country. In such cases the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees identifies these people who are in particularly vulnerable
situations overseas and who do not meet the criteria for the other categories.
Entrants come under Visa Classes 208 to 217.
Over half a million refugees have been resettled in Australia
since 1945. Early arrivals came principally from Europe. Since the 1970s, however,
humanitarian entrants have come from all over the world.
Under the 2001-2002 humanitarian program 32% of entrants came
from Former Yugoslavia, 32% from the Middle East and South-West Asia, and 33%
from Africa. The program has changed significantly since then with 30% coming
from Africa, 35% from the Middle East and South West Asia and 35% from Asia in
2007-2008. For more details, click here
5. Providing asylum
As a signatory to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol, Australia
has an obligation to protect refugees who have sought asylum. Part of this obligation
is to ensure that asylum seekers have access to adequate refugee status determination
procedures.
The FAQs pageprovides more information
about asylum seekers and the refugee status determination procedures in Australia.
In contrast to our response to refugees and humanitarian entrants,
the Australian Government has introduced policy and legislation which has diminished
our response to asylum seekers and has steadily eroded their rights and entitlements.
This has included:
• The introduction of THVs
• Changes to Australia’s Migration Zone
• Introduction of the 45-day rule
RCOA maintains is opposition to these policies and continues
to advocate for change.
Other facts + stats:
• Myths about refugees
• Refugee status
determination
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