AUSTRALIA'S REFUGEE PROGRAMME
Facts + Stats
MYTHS ABOUT REFUGEES
There is a lot of confusion about refugees: not just about
who they are but also about the impact they have on Australian life. Here are
just some of the myths:
Charity begins at home: we should help Aborigines
and other disadvantaged groups in Australia first!
"Charity" is not something that should be considered
in terms of "us" and "them". If we are being responsible members
of the human community we should seek ways to assist all those in need.
Refugees take our jobs which is balanced by
the contradictory myth: all refugees go on unemployment benefits.
It is true that newly arrived refugees have higher unemployment
rates than the community average. This is not unexpected. Amongst the refugee
arrivals are people who have been tortured and deeply traumatised. This can interfere
with employment. There are also a significant number of entrants whose qualifications
are not recognised in Australia and they need time to make adjustments. There
is also the issue of learning English. Refugees are entitled to 510 hours of free
English language instruction which must be taken in the first 2 years - and it
is beneficial that the entrants do this as they are unlikely to do this later.
The fact that refugees "come from behind" in the
employment stakes highlights the need for specifically targeted intervention programs
that recognise issues such as their trauma, their unrecognised qualifications
and their lack of English. Targeted programs that do this have shown that they
are very successful at placing refugees in the workforce. If we are to bring refugees
to Australia (and it is Australia's decision that we do so) it is important that
we recognise their specific needs and address these. If we do this, we will reap
the benefits. Most refugees want to work, both to restore their damaged sense
of self esteem and to repay what they see as their debt of gratitude to Australia
for providing them with protection.
Whether "refugees take our jobs" is the sort of
question that has no easy answer. Refugees do compete for jobs but they are also
consumers. Because they arrive with nothing they have to purchase household goods,
clothing etc, all of which provides jobs for the people who make and sell these
commodities.
Refugees have no right to come here and expect
us to help them.
Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:
"Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries freedom from
persecution".
It is an accident of birth that we are born in a country where human rights are
respected. Do we have a moral right to protect these at the expense of others?
This does not mean that Australia alone must take the full burden for protecting
the persecuted. It does mean that we have to play a part in an international response
that includes a wide spectrum of initiatives from addressing root causes to providing
asylum to people whose human rights have been violated.
Refugees are economic migrants who come here
to get a better life.
The distinction between refugees and migrants is outlined
on the FAQs page.
Refugees get all sorts of handouts from the
government.
As will be outlined on the FAQs page,
refugees essentially have the same rights and entitlements as permanent residents.
They are, however, exempt from the waiting period for Social Security benefits
and they get 510 hours of free English language instruction and some get access
to post-arrival assistance. These extra entitlements are in recognition of their
particular needs.
If we let one in, they will come in floods.
Australia is one of the most difficult countries in the world
to get to. We have no common borders and there are universal visa requirements
and carrier sanctions. Because of this it is highly unlikely that we will ever
see the large numbers of asylum seekers other countries experience.
There is also the erroneous perception in the public's mind
that everyone in the world wants to come to Australia. We are little known in
the total scheme of things and far less of an incentive than countries such as
the United States.
It is realistic to expect that asylum seekers will keep coming to Australia but
unlikely that there will be "floods" of people with the wherewithal
and inclination to make the journey by irregular means.
The best way for Australia to deal with asylum seekers is
to process their claims expeditiously. This way those in need of protection receive
it and those whose claims are without merit can returned to their country of origin
to "send a message" to others in similar circumstances that it is not
so easy to get to Australia.
One of the things that is important to recognise in this debate
is that any response a country makes must protect those in genuine need of protection
ie there must be the presumption of a genuine claim until it is determined to
be otherwise, not the presumption that the person is rorting the system.
Refugees cannot possibly contribute anything
to us.
It is a myth that all refugees are illiterate peasants. The
majority that come to Australia are educated middle class people - whose education,
profession or political opinions have drawn them to the attention of the authorities
and resulted in their persecution.
By definition refugees are survivors. They have survived because
they have the courage, ingenuity and creativity to have done so. These are qualities
which we value in Australia. The challenge for Australia is to assist newly arrived
refugees to process the experiences of their past and rebuild their lives in Australia.
If we do this we will reap the benefits of the qualities and experiences they
bring to Australia.
Other myths about refugees and asylum seekers can be found
on the website of Edmund
Rice Centre.
Other facts + stats:
• Response to world
refugee situation
• Refugee status
determination
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