CONTENTS
·
World
Refugee Day Dinner
·
New
Staff at RCOA
·
Temporary
Protection Visa Holders
·
International
Settlement Conference
·
Immigration
Detention in the Spotlight
·
Immigration
Detainees in Prisons
·
Ruud
Lubbers on Human Rights
·
Anti-Human
Rights Bill
·
Mentors
Wanted
·
Australian
Museum
·
Call
for Papers
·
What’s
New?
·
What’s
Happening?
WORLD REFUGEE DAY DINNER
As flagged in the last RCOA Newsletter, The Australian
Refugee Foundation, on behalf of the Refugee Council, is holding a dinner to
mark the first ever World Refugee Day on Wednesday 20th June 2001.
Invitations to the dinner will be sent to our members and
friends in the near future, but please put the date in your diary to make sure
you can come.
The Dinner will be a very special occasion. It is to be
held at the University of Sydney and the honored guest will be Professor Marie
Bashir, newly appointed Governor of NSW and long time supporter of refugees.
The Right Honorable Malcolm Fraser, Australian Refugee
Foundation Patron, David Bitel, RCOA President and the Right Honorable Ian
Sinclair, Austcare President will also be speaking.
The Dinner will also mark the 50th Anniversary
of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 20th
Anniversary of the establishment of the Refugee Council.
It will be an event not to be missed. Contact Cathy
Preston-Thomas at RCOA for more details.
NEW STAFF AT RCOA
With great sadness the Refugee
Council farewelled RCOA Settlement Policy Officer Melissa Phillips at the end
of February. Melissa has headed off to Europe for an extended working holiday.
She has been replaced by Cathy
Preston- Thomas, formerly the Community Develop-ment Worker with STARTTS. Cathy
brings much valuable experience to her work with RCOA and has quite literally
hit the deck running. Cathy is keen to hear from members and friends on
settlement issues.
RCOA’s Administration
Manager, Murray Mackie has also left, securing the full time job he had been
seeking. He has been replaced by Elizabeth Wulff, who comes to RCOA from
Charles Sturt University and has moved to Sydney to begin her PhD.
TEMPORARY PROTECTION VISA HOLDERS
A research report into the social
and economic impact of the Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) regime was
launched on 28th March.
Commissioned by the Queensland Government, the report was launched by Darryl
Briskey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier.
"This is the first official
report on TPV holders and there is clear evidence that the Commonwealth TPV
policy is severely limiting the capacity of refugees to participate in everyday
life," said Darryl Briskey at the launch.
The report comes after a spate of
criticism from welfare agencies and state govern-ments, who have had to pick up
the tab for Federal cutbacks.
Figures recently released by the Victorian
Community Services, Minister Christine
Campbell, show that Canberra had saved about $5 million through its policy of
denying basic services to Victoria's 563 TPV refugees, 100 of whom are
children, including 27 without families.
Under the new system, refugees who arrive without visas are denied permanent
residence, settlement support, job-search assistance, accommodation, English
lessons, family reunion rights and help from Commonwealth Government-funded
welfare agencies.
As a result, community and church
agencies have been inundated with requests for help. Because many have received
no funding for this, they have had to divert funds from other programs.
The Queensland Report is
especially important because, by documenting the extent of the problems and the
implications of not providing assistance, it will assist agencies to advocate
for these needy refugees and strengthen their attempts to get funding from other sources.
Parliamentary Secretary Darryl Briskey went on to announce that the Queensland
Government has adopted as policy that TPV holders are to receive the same level
of assistance from state government agencies as Permanent Protection Visa
holders. This is an important step and comes on top of the State Government
providing support in a number of key areas including:
·
English
language tuition through TAFE colleges;
·
rental
bond loans;
·
access
to public housing;
·
access
to a 38 bed boarding house which has been provided for on-arrival
accommodation;
·
access
to state education at no cost;
·
ESL
tuition for children in schools.
Queensland is not the only state
to provide assistance to TPV holders. South Australia has been particularly
supportive of this group and a number of other states have introduced or are in
the process of introducing support services. As in Queensland, the state
governments are motivated by recognition that the TPV holders are an especially
vulnerable group in the community who, without support, will not be able to
contribute fully to the community and will be further traumatised by their
experiences in Australia.
Copies of the report are available
from Multicultural Affairs Queensland: phone 07 3224 5690 or 1800 679 763, or
email maq@premiers.qld.gov.au.
INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE
The International Conference on the Reception and
Integration of Resettled Refugees (ICRIRR) will take place in Sweden in late
April. This conference will bring together governments, NGOs and refugees from
18 countries which currently offer resettlement places to refugees and/or are
considering doing so.
The objectives of the conference include identifying best
practice in the many areas of settlement and to sharing information about
programs. One of the outcomes of the Conference will be the compilation by
UNHCR of a Settlement Handbook to complement the existing UNHCR Resettle-ment
Handbook.
At least ten Australians will be participating in the conference. All are working in
various areas of the humanitarian program (both government and non-government)
and three are former refugees. The key areas Australia will focus on include:
·
multiculturalism;
·
common
needs;
·
initial
orientation support;
·
English
language instruction;
·
torture
and trauma counselling; and
·
refugee
youth.
As has been previously outlined, the Refugee Council is
preparing a detailed document to go to the delegates at ICRIRR and to the
drafters of the Settlement Handbook. This contains the collected views of
Australians working with refugees in community and church-based organisations
and as volunteers. They reflect on issues such as “what is
settlement?” and share their views on what principles underlie good
settlement programs.
In preparing the document, the Council also met with
refugees from many different back-grounds who had come to Australia at various
stages over the last 50 years. Their reflections on their experiences are also
included.
To round off the document and to make it of greater use to
researchers both in Australia and overseas, the report concludes with a
detailed literature review and a bibliography.
Copies of this report will be available from the Refugee
Council from the end of April.
Furthermore, RCOA’s Director, Margaret Piper, will
be one of the Australians participating at the conference and will be reporting
back on what happens.
IMMIGRATION DETENTION IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Since November, the issue of the detention of unauthorised
boat arrivals has been constantly in the news. There have been a variety of
reasons for this attention including:
·
a
number of incidents at the various centres where detainees have been protesting
about the conditions or out of frustration about their cases;
·
the
undertaking given by the Minister for Immigration that he would examine the
feasibility of trialling release for women and children in the Woomera centre;
·
the
announcement of plans for the establishment of a new facility in Darwin that
will be able to accommodate up to 2,000 detainees; and
·
the
release of three important reports into various aspects of immigration
detention - the Flood Report and
two reports from the Federal Ombudsman - the first into Immigration Detention
Centres and the second into the holding of immigration detainees in state
correctional facilities (see below).
The events of the last few months have served to cement
the Refugee Council’s position that:
·
alternatives
to the current detention policy, in particular the Alternative Detention Model,
should be actively pursued;
·
detention
of children for anything beyond a brief initial period should be avoided;
·
an
inquiry with far-ranging investigative powers (such as a judicial inquiry or
royal commission) is required to investigate the many allegations that have
been made about immigration detention centres to allow those without substance
to be put to rest and to enable action to be taken to remedy any deficiencies.
IMMIGRATION DETAINEES IN PRISONS
The release in March of the aforementioned report of the Federal Ombudsman into
the holding of immigration detainees in correctional facilities once again
focused attention on this contentious issue.
The report expressed concern, inter alia, about the holding of
non-convicted detainees with convicted prisoners and the transfer of mentally
ill detainees to state prisons to make management easier.
It is significant therefore to note the recent decision by
the Victorian Government that it will no longer accept immigration detainees
who have not been charged with a criminal offence in state prisons.
RUUD LUBBERS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
New UN High Commisioner for
Refugees, Ruud Lubber's, addressed the UN Commission on Human Rights on 21
March on the link between human rights violations and refugees.
He argued violations of human rights, violence, racism and xenophobia were to
blame for the world's growing number of uprooted people.
"The link between human rights and refugees is - from one optic - a
relationship of cause and effect," he said.
Lubbers urged governments as well as international and national institutions to
do more to prevent situations in which people are forced from their homes.
"Actually preventing the descent toward persecution, massive human rights
violations and open conflict is, of course, very difficult in the real world.
But the possibility of averting such suffering - not to mention the enormous
social and economic costs that typically follow - should justify and inspire
our efforts," he said.
Addressing the issue of global migration, Lubbers said mass movements of people
in search of better economic prospects have led to states creating "a
daunting array of
obstacles aimed at preventing migrants from reaching their territory." As
a result, he said, many genuine refugees have no choice but to resort to
trafficking and smuggling
networks.
"Today, refugees and economic migrants - along with this criminal element
- have become seriously confused - even assimil-ated - in the public mind.
Extremist politicians have been quick to exploit public fears - stereotyping
refugees as economic-ally motivated, a burden, a danger to public health and a
social threat," he said.
Lubbers reiterated UNHCR's backing for the 1951 Refugee Convention, which marks
its 50th anniversary later this year, and its validity today. He said UNHCR was
involved in a series of global consultations with governments and rights groups
to look at ways of strengthening the commitment to
the Convention, while at the same time addressing issues that are not covered
by it.
ANTI-HUMAN RIGHTS BILL
The Refugee Council is deeply
concerned about the reintroduction into Parliament of the Administrative
Decisions (Effect of International Instruments) Bill. Often known as the
“Anti-Teoh Bill” because of its genesis in a High Court decision,
this Bill takes away any obligation on an administrative decision maker to be
mindful of international treaty obligations when making a decision.
If this Bill is passed by the
Senate, the commitments that Australia has made by signing international human
rights treaties such as the Refugee Convention and the Convention on the Rights
of the Child will be meaningless. It is something akin to going through a
wedding ceremony and then passing laws that say you do not have to pay any
attention to your vows.
Australia’s reputation as a
responsible member of the international community took a severe battering in
August 2000 when the Government announced that it would no longer cooperate
with UN Human Rights Treaties Committees.
It is RCOA’s contention that
this is further evidence of the lack of understanding our current Government
has for the internationally accepted fundamental principles of human rights
which their predecessors played such an important role in drafting.
It also shows a deeply troubling
disrespect for the foundations of a healthy democratic society. RCOA believes
that it is vitally important for all Australians and for the future of this
country that this Bill be blocked in the Senate.
MENTORS WANTED
If you have experience in the
engineering, teaching, accountancy or IT industry - WE NEED YOUR HELP.
As explained in the last RCOA
Newsletter, the Refugee Council, along with Lidcombe TAFE Outreach, Anglicare
Migrant Services and STARTTS, is part of the Steering Committee for a Mentoring
Pilot Project.
This much-needed initiative aims
to provide a vulnerable group, in this case refugees who are long-term
unemployed or potentially underemployed, with the benefits of a mentoring
relationship.
Interested people would need to be
willing to share their experience and knowledge with refugees who often just
‘need a break’ into an industry or assistance with understanding
new work cultures.
All training will be provided by a
mentoring expert from Lidcombe TAFE. For more information contact Cathy Preston
Thomas at RCOA or Cheryl Webster at Anglicare on 02 9560 8622.
AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM
The long-awaited Australian Museum opened in Canberra in
March. One of the opening exhibits focuses on the stories of a number of people
from different parts of the world who came to Australia as refugees.
The Refugee Council worked with the Museum on the
development of this exhibit and is delighted that the contribution made to this
country by people from refugee backgrounds is appropriately acknowledged.
Don’t miss visiting the Museum of Australia when you
are next in Canberra.
CALL FOR PAPERS
A call for papers has been issued by the Centre for
Refugee Research at the University of NSW for their December 2001 international conference: The Refugee
Convention: Where to from Here?
The conference will have both academic and community
streams covering key refugee issues including:
·
resettlement
·
settlement
·
asylum
·
repatriation
·
gender
A call has been issued for papers in any of these areas.
Interested persons (refugees, community workers, legal practitioners or
academics) are requested to submit
a 300 word abstract by 29 June to the conference organising committee at:
Centre for Refugee Research
School of Social Work
University of NSW 2052
or by email to cenrefre@unsw.edu.au.
The conference is shaping up to be a very interesting
event. It will take place between 6th and 9th December at
the University of NSW. In addition to the formal sessions there will be:
·
a
Hypothetical facilitated by well-known television and radio presenter Julie
McCrossin, which will explore community attitudes to refugees and asylum
seekers; and
·
a
Moot Court which will be held at NSW Parliament House and be followed by the
conference dinner.
Further information about the conference can be obtained
from the contacts listed above.
WHAT’S NEW?
BORDERLINE: Australia’s Treatment of Refugees and
Asylum Seekers by
ABC Journalist Peter Mares. This provocative book opens up the legal, moral and
political questions posed by Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and
refugees. The book is based on a visit to Woomera, discussions with refugees
and former detention centre staff and information from a wide range of official
and non-official sources. Published by UNSW Press (www.unswpress.com.au).
REFUGEES AND GENDER: Law and Process - the latest book by UK academic Heaven
Crawley which
examines how those representing asylum seekers can ensure that gender-related
aspects of women’s experiences are taken into account and appropriately
reflected in the determination process. The book provides a theoretical
overview and an outline of case law, covering issues such as:
·
a
gendered framework for the analysis of asylum claims;
·
women’s
political participation and resistance;
·
gendered
social mores and the concept of “honour”;
·
violence
within the family;
·
reproductive
rights, including forced sterilisation and abortion;
·
sexual
orientation; and
·
female
genital mutilation.
Published in February 2001 by Jordans (www.jordanpublishing.co.uk).
The Jordan’s website also has details of other recent publications,
including one on the UK Human Rights Act.
SECURITY, PEOPLE SMUGGLING AND AUSTRALIA’S NEW AFGHAN
REFUGEES, by Dr
William Maley, published
as no.63 in the Working Paper series of the Australian Defence Studies Centre
in Canberra. Copies of this will soon be posted in the publications section of
the Centre’s website: http://idun.itsc.adfa.edu.au/ADSC/pub_wp.htm or
ordered from the Australian Defence Studies Centre, ADFA, Canberra ACT 2600.
ASYLUM SEEKERS: Australia’s Response to Refugees by Dr Don McMaster. The
book is a critical analysis of Australia’s detention policy since 1993,
particularly with respect of the detention of asylum seekers. Published March 2001.
WHAT’S
HAPPENING?
24-25 MAY: Managing Services for Culturally Diverse
Populations: Ethnograph- ical Foundations of Mental Health, Therapy and Service
Delivery - Sydney
- 2 day interactive workshop conducted by Professor Anthony Marsella from the
University of Hawaii organised by the Transcultural Mental Health Centre. For
further information phone 02 9840 3800.
28-30 MAY: Diversity in Health - Sharing Global
Perspectives: Sydney
Convention Centre. Incorporating the conferences of the Australian
Transcultural Mental Health Network and the NSW Transcultural Mental Health
Centre. For further information visit the conference website at www.tmhc.nsw.
gov.au/diversity.htm.
2-8 OCTOBER: CONNECTING COMMUNIT-IES: A COMMONWEALTH
PEOPLE’S FESTIVAL - Brisbane - in conjunction with CHOGM. In addition to a number of
exhibitions, meeting and workshops will be held around Brisbane by Commonwealth
and Australian organisations. These will contribute to the Commonwealth’s
initiatives on democracy, good governance and the economic and social
development of its peoples. For further information phone 07 3224 2353.
