Pressures. Seeking asylum: Changing. Living with fear, uncertainty and exclusion. We came as victims from our country, we became victims here again.

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1 Changing No.11 November 2002 ISSN Seeking asylum: A social action project by the Brotherhood of St Laurence Living with fear, uncertainty and exclusion Inside this issue: Why did they leave their country? How do they feel about the possibility of not being granted asylum here? How have they been treated by ordinary Australians? How have they been treated by the Australian Government? What access do they have to work, income support and health and education services? The Brotherhood of St Laurence wishes to acknowledge the assistance and support provided to this project by Hotham Mission, the Refugee Council of Australia, the Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau and the North Yarra Community Health Service. For further information, contact Ainslie Hannan (03) * All names used are pseudonyms and country of origin is not disclosed where there is a possibility it might lead to identification of an individual. Future bulletins Affordable housing: the impact of housing costs on low-income households We came as victims from our country, we became victims here again. (Mikal*, an asylum seeker) Views about how people seeking asylum in Australia should be treated have become highly politicised. In public debate the issue has been linked to border control, deterrence of future would-be asylum seekers, terrorism, migration intake numbers and longer term considerations of desirable population growth for Australia. In this bulletin we step back from the heat of these debates and examine the experience of asylum seekers who are currently living in Australia. Australia has had an enviable and deserved record for just and humane treatment of those fleeing war, torture, and political and religious persecution. A society can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members. In an inclusive and just society all members are provided with good access to its cultural, social, intellectual and economic life. We explore how we treat one of our most vulnerable groups those seeking asylum in This bulletin Previous issues of Changing have examined the effect of policy changes on various disadvantaged groups in Australia, giving voice to the people most affected. In this bulletin we look at how we treat asylum seekers, through the eyes of 40 people with direct personal experience of seeking Australia as a place of permanent sanctuary. They come from many troubled corners of the globe, including Afghanistan, the Congo, Iran, Sri Lanka and East Timor. Asylum seekers in Australia People arriving in Australia to seek asylum may find themselves in one of the following situations: asylum seekers who are being held in immigration detention centres while their refugee status is determined asylum seekers living in the community on a Bridging Visa until their claim for protection is determined asylum seekers who have been granted refugee status and given a Temporary Protection Visa for three years, but whose longterm protection is still to be determined. None of these groups are eligible to apply for other family members to join them here, nor do they have the automatic right to return to Australia if they travel overseas (for example, to search for or to visit relatives). The rights of these groups to federal income support and services varies according to their position in the application process for protection (see Table 2). 1

2 The context The treatment of people living in Australia under temporary protection is affected by three areas of government policy: immigration policy broadly, who we allow into this country, which in turn is related to national social and economic goals refugee and humanitarian policy a subset of immigration policy, under which people are provided with temporary or permanent protection on humanitarian grounds as part of our international obligations settlement policy how we assist those who are here either on a temporary or permanent basis to be part of the community. Table 1 Asylum applications submitted in selected industrialised countries, 2001 Country United Kingdom 88,300 Germany 88,290 United States 1 86,180 France 47,290 Canada 44,040 Netherlands 32,580 Austria 30,140 Belgium 24,550 Sweden 23,520 Switzerland 20,630 Czech Republic 18,090 Norway 14,780 Denmark 12,400 Australia 12,370 Ireland 10,330 1 Estimated by UNHCR on the basis of 1.4 asylum applicants per application Source: Refugees by numbers 2002, UNHCR 2 Asylum applications Many of the world s asylum seekers, who leave their country of origin to escape persecution, do so in very difficult circumstances. They are often unable to obtain official status as refugees through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). They may arrive in Australia as approved temporary visitors on student, work or visitor visas, or they may enter Australia without a visa. Some arrive with false documentation. They may arrive by boat or by plane. What asylum seekers have in common is the fact that they enter Australia for the purpose of seeking protection. To a large extent what happens to them depends on their travel documents: those people who arrive without a valid visa are confined in detention centres, while the others are able to live in the community while their claim for asylum is processed. Asylum applications from all these people are described as onshore because they are made in Australia. In contrast people approved for permanent settlement through Australian embassies and the UNCHR overseas are described as making their applications offshore. Despite the high profile given to onshore applications, Australia is not a major destination for asylum seekers, compared with many other industrialised nations (see Table 1). Since 1991 Australia has maintained an annual quota around 12,000 for applicants in humanitarian and refugee categories. Apart from refugees who apply overseas for resettlement in Australia, this includes people who are subject to substantial human rights violations in their own country, and those provided in recent years with Temporary Protection Visas (once their refugee status has been accepted). The government s decision in 1996 to manage onshore and offshore groups within the one fixed quota has meant that every onshore applicant approved potentially means that an offshore applicant is denied or delayed permanent residence here. This is the basis on which onshore refugees are consistently and unfairly described by government ministers as queue jumpers, although it disregards the fact that refugee crises do not produce orderly queues. Compared with the quota for the refugee and humanitarian program, a much larger number of people are accepted via the migration program for permanent residence into Australia as business and skilled migrants or for family reunion. The annual intake has fluctuated considerably and is planned to be in excess of 100,000 in These migrants are granted residence under the rationale of contributing to Australia s economy. In contrast, asylum seekers are often depicted as a burden on our society rather than as potential contributors. Yet it has been people in very similar situations to the present asylum seekers who have been part of our migration program in the past and who have been key players in the development of our prosperous and culturally diverse nation. Arguably, they make ideal citizens. They want to be here and they want to contribute. Services and supports for asylum seekers Those refugees who are accepted overseas for permanent protection in Australia have access to services widely recognised as world-class, to help them settle here. In contrast, asylum seekers awaiting a decision on protection may face: lengthy periods of detention in isolated areas poor or no access to income support and services available to other members of the community, and (for some) exclusion from the right to work. In Victoria, where this research was conducted, the state government has provided some additional assistance to asylum seekers, including ready access to primary and secondary education. It has unsuccessfully put the argument to the federal government that much needed assistance for asylum seekers is a Commonwealth responsibility.

3 The context Table 2 Entitlements of different categories of refugees and asylum seekers Accepted as refugees Refugee status to be determined Permanent Protection Visa Temporary Protection Visa Asylum seekers living in the community (with Bridging Visas) Commonwealth income support Immediate access to the full range of social security benefits. Access only to Special Benefit for which eligibility criteria apply. Work test imposed. Ineligible for Newstart, Sickness Allowance, Parenting payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy. No access to any benefits from Centrelink. After waiting 6 months for a Primary Decision may qualify for Australian Red Cross Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme (ASAS) funded by DIMIA, receiving 89% of Special Benefit. Asylum seekers lose access to ASAS if they appeal a decision beyond the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT). Education Same access to education as other permanent residents. Access to primary and secondary education subject to state policy. Effective exclusion from tertiary study due to imposition of full fees. May get access to primary and secondary education following consultation subject to state policy. Effective preclusion from tertiary education due to imposition of full fees. Settlement Support Access to full DIMIA settlement services, including Migrant Resources Centres and ethno-specific agencies, interpreter service, and practical and integration assistance. Not eligible for most DIMIA-funded services, except for health screening and referral. No access to DIMIA funded settlement services. Family reunion Ability to bring immediate family members (spouse and children) to Australia. No family reunion rights, even for spouse and children. No family reunion rights, even for spouse and children. Travel Same ability to leave the country and return as other permanent residents. Travel, even if permitted, voids the protection submission. Travel, even if permitted, voids the protection submission. Work rights Permission to work. Permission to work but job search severely restricted by temporary visa and poor English skills. Very limited access to job placement support. Dependent on applying for a permanent visa within 45 days of arrival. Work rights withdrawn if RRT decision is appealed. English classes Access to 510 hours of English language training through AMEP. Not eligible for federally funded English language programs or translating and interpreter services. Not eligible for federally funded English language programs or translating and interpreter services. Medical benefits Same eligibility for Medicare and Health Care Card as other permanent residents. Eligibile for Medicare and Health Care Cards. Eligible for Medicare only if permitted to work. No Health Care Card. Not eligible for torture and trauma services. Housing Assistance with public housing included within settlement services. Not entitled to on-arrival accommodation assistance. Limited access to stateprovided public housing assistance. Not eligible for government housing assistance. Note: Table does not include asylum seekers confined in detention centres. Table is based on information from DIMIA, summarised with help from agencies assisting asylum seekers and refugees. It does not claim to show all the details of eligibility for every specific category of visa-holder. 3

4 We spoke with 40 people from eight different countries, with the five main countries of origin being Afghanistan, the Congo, East Timor, Iraq and Sri Lanka. Only six, four of whom came from Sri Lanka, spoke English very well. There were more men (24) than women (16). They ranged in age from 18 years to 72 years, with an average age of 42 years. Nearly half were living with partners who came with them to Australia. Almost three-quarters had children, with just over a quarter (11) having children still living overseas. The majority (24) lived in inner and northern Melbourne suburbs, with the East Timorese (14) living in southern The people who spoke to us sought Australia as a safe refuge and hoped to rebuild their shattered lives here free from fear. Their comments about how they have been treated in Australia can only be understood in the context of why they left their home country and anxieties and fears for their future, including family separation. Their comments are grouped under the following themes: The need to seek a safe refuge Living in fear and uncertainty Detention experiences in Australia Views on treatment in Australia Access to paid work, income support and services. The need to seek a safe refuge People spoke to us of their often-terrifying flight. They fled their own country because they and their families were no longer safe. There was no choice, no planning time and often no time to say goodbye. I think the main goal for a human being is to live this life in security and to secure a future for himself and his family. And we couldn t achieve that in Iraq because we were always threatened. Our lives were threatened. (Jasem, from Iraq) Because of the rockets that were falling on our town, we took some of our stuff and went 4 People who spoke to us suburbs. Their length of residence in Australia ranged from 10 months to 14 years, and averaged four years. Professional interpreters were used for non-english speaking participants. People on Bridging Visas There were 14 from East Timor who had the right to work and were eligible for limited federal income support and services. They had been in Australia on average about eight years. There were seven (four from Sri Lanka) who had no rights to work, or to federal income support or services, following the rejection of What people told us somewhere else. And when the Taliban came they took our house, our furniture they took everything and we had nowhere to live and nothing to live on. (Junie, from Afghanistan) I came from Sri Lanka because of the government and my life was threatened in that country I couldn t get my passport on time, so I couldn t come on my passport. (Satha, from Sri Lanka) When the government started chasing us we went to [another] province, from there to pay our way out of the country We thought it would be good to go to the South Pacific, to go far away, it would be peaceful and we would not be found. (Josephe, from the Congo) I left my country because I was classed as being from the political resistance against the government. They took me. They released me under the condition that I left [name of country]. (Mikal, from the Middle East) In my county I am an Orthodox priest. The government forced me to leave. They tried to kill me two times... I came by myself. I didn t want to risk the life of my family. I crossed the border at the night. [If] the soldiers see me they can kill me straight away. (Leonard, from Eastern Europe) their claim for protection by the Refugee Review Tribunal. They had been in Australia on average about five years. People on Temporary Protection Visas There were 19 in this category, most having arrived within the past two years. They originated from: Afghanistan (7) Iraq (7) Congo (5). Living in fear and uncertainty To be legally recognised as a refugee, the asylum seeker needs to prove that he or she has a current, wellfounded fear of being persecuted for specified reasons including political or religious beliefs. Many refugees have experienced torture and trauma. For some this may have been a single incident, for others this may happen over a long period of time. Torture is insidious by design as it often works to create psychological and physical damage. Its perpetrators work to generate fear in their victims. The effect of this damage is that trust is eroded and the refugee feels a great sense of injustice. This often presents itself through the refugees constant need to be reassured that they are believed. Small or seemingly unrelated incidents can reignite this underlying fear and lack of trust. The participants in this study were fearful and anxious about the possibility of being forced to go

5 back to their country of origin, with their comments reflecting the reasons why they left in the first place. They expressed particular concerns for their children s future and for family members still overseas. When the government chased us we sent our families to another province and now we do not know what is happening and we are still living like a double life. Our head is not in place as we are still thinking about home. (Debebe, from the Congo) My husband used to be in the Indonesian military, but the Indonesian military themselves murdered him. So imagine we go back to that country [East Timor], we will be targeted and harmed by [the] indigenous people. If we have to go back to Indonesia we will be targeted because we are Timorese. So on both sides there is going to be fear. (Maria, from East Timor) We want to know why the government is thinking of sending us back to our country when it s not safe Our remaining concern is our children, because we have been here two to three years, learning English, going to school and if we go back there is not really much education there and they ll be put down again and have to start again. And we went through big dangers to get here. (Jonie, from Afghanistan) We don t know what is our situation. It s painful. It s because we are waiting for something unknown. (Hussein, from Iraq) Our cases are going on years and years. This is our valuable time. They are putting us in a limbo state. My stamina, my strength, they all have gone. When I get up in the morning I have nothing to do. (Aravinda from Sri Lanka) First we would like to get permanent residence, then get our lives back to normal and also to try and know where our families are. But the longer What people told us we are not permanent residents and we don t know what is happening to us, we feel we are still not in protection and it is affecting our lives. (Mayeli, from the Congo) They say [name of country withheld] now is a democratic country. How can they be a democratic country when everyone has two guns, every family, and there is no police because the Mafia do anything they want? And one sister since January 1997 is missing. We don t know where she is. At that time the Mafia, the people there, they got girls her age, about 20 or 22 or younger. Detention experiences in Australia Sixteen participants had spent time in detention centres. The worst detention experiences were for those from Iraq (7), who were detained in centres in Woomera in South Australia and Curtin in north-west Western Australia, and whose periods of incarceration ranged from four to 12 months. With us for instance we stayed for one year [in detention]. First when we arrived they [camp staff] started saying vulgar words and swearing at us: You re from the East, you re dirty, Australian people don t like you. We were not allowed to have any contact with our families for six months, no letters, no telephone calls, nothing. And we were kept in a remote area far away from any residential area and it wasn t suitable for animals. (Hussein, from Iraq) In a detention centre you stay for a long time without being interviewed or told about your application and you feel helpless and you don t know how long you will stay there and this psychologically affects you. (Jasem, from Iraq) Three other participants had been placed in detention in Melbourne, two for continuing paid work after expiry of their work visas and one after arriving by plane with false documents. All had to pay a fee as a condition of their release. Had they been unable to make these payments they would have been detained at public expense. From the time the Immigration [Department] got us and put us in a detention centre things were difficult. Thank God we had at that time some money We paid the detention centre for the three days there and we went out. It was $300 altogether because there were three of us and I was pregnant at that time. It was a very, very bad experience. I can t forget that. Views on treatment in Australia Hope is central to the refugee recovery process. It is the ability in times of absolute human trial not to give up on life, to hold on to the belief in your own and others ability to be compassionate. Hope is not wishful thinking, it is based on something, a framework of justice or a memory or an experience that somehow life can be different. But hope can also be fragile and at times needs to be fuelled by the imagination and the care expressed by others. Participants felt they were treated well by ordinary Australians but poorly by the federal government. If I had a sick dog in my backyard I would take care of him. I would give him something to eat. I would do something. But here the government says No, we do nothing for you. (Mikal, from the Middle East) It s a beautiful country, the people are very good, but the government is very, very tough. They can t believe we can survive under the rules that they make for us. continued on page

6 ...continued from page 5 It is a very good country to live. There are very nice people, very peaceful. Only it hurts the way they re treating us. If I had the work rights and a permanent place of residence, I would do my best for the country. (Ismael, from Sri Lanka) In society we feel welcomed by the people. Outside of politicians we feel welcome because they [other Australians] are standing for the rights for refugees... (Mayeli, from the Congo) The Australian people accept the Timorese people with a great heart and they openly welcome us, and it is great. (Antonio, from East Timor) We have noticed that Australian people are very nice people and we haven t noticed any racism or discrimination. We don t even feel homesick here. We are in contact with other people in other countries who are in different situations and we say we are lucky here. We are not experiencing the same thing. (Kadh, from Iraq) Access to paid work For an individual or a family with a refugee experience, an opportunity to work is often the first building block in their recovery. Work provides a sense of connectedness and a means to contribute to the society. Seven of the participants on Bridging Visas had no right to do paid work, following the rejection of their protection claim by the Refugee Review Tribunal and pending appeals to the courts or to the Minister. Only nine of the remaining 26 had been able to find paid work: poor levels of spoken English and temporary residence status presented barriers to employment. I was working to support my family but Immigration took me to the detention and I lost my job The doctor said I am always stressed, too much thinking, too much worry. My wife says Just go out for a drive, just go out for a walk, because I keep thinking. I was working 50 hours a week, a full-time worker. After I lost my job, it s a big change. (Victor, from Sri Lanka) 6 What people told us Ever since when they cancelled my work rights, after that I did work because I had to feed my family... I went to Centrelink, they said under my visa class they cannot help. I can t understand why the system is like this... If we work, we don t need to go for donations, we can look after our own until the appeals are finished. (Aravinda from Sri Lanka) Unemployment is a terrible thing. It s better to work. First of all to feel as if you are a part of the community, you want to contribute for this community. (Saed from Iraq) To look for employment, first of all they [employers] look at your status, but because you don t have residency it makes it difficult. A lot of us went to apply but they never came back to us, never called us. (Don, from East Timor) Finding work made an important difference: When we arrived here, we were carrying a lot of problems in our head and we can t sleep well because we were doing nothing. Then we [found] work [and it] is helping us to get something. We feel a little bit better because our mind is working. To meet other people is very important. (Desiré, from the Congo) Struggling financially Most of those who we spoke to had expended any savings they had on arrival in Australia. All were struggling financially. The nine in paid work received low levels of income (averaging $300 per week). Twelve were receiving Special Benefit and the remaining 12 had access to federally funded Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme (ASAS) payments administered through the Australian Red Cross, at the rate of 89 per cent of the usual Special Benefit rate. The seven who had no work rights were also ineligible for income support, and relied on charity. Participants described the struggle to meet basic expenses: When we came here, our income is low. We have to pay rent, electricity, all the expenses. By the time we pay the hospital and for medicine there s not much money left for food. (Zahra, from Afghanistan) The Hotham Mission have given me a church house at the moment and they are giving some [food] vouchers and pocket money every month, and tram cards, and a few friends are helping with food and other stuff and some petrol money. We are managing to live, but I am still struggling because I cannot afford everything for my family. (Victor, from Sri Lanka) They won t give me work permission since I have been in Australia. (Q: Do you receive any financial assistance from the government?) No, nothing. So I sometimes have to borrow shoes from my friend to go somewhere... (Mikal, from the Middle East) English language difficulties Most had difficulties with English and saw this as a major barrier to satisfactory employment and to participating in the broader society. Access to English classes varied considerably. Those on Temporary Protection Visas who had arrived within the past two years, and those on Bridging Visas with no rights to any form of federal assistance, appeared to have the least access to English classes. If someone asks you to do something, a lack of English, a lack of communication, can be a problem. For example, they ask you to grab piece of wood but you are going to grab a piece of rock. (Mario from East Timor) I ve had no English classes. I don t have the right to work. It is very uncomfortable because I can t say what I want to say and when you go to a different country and you

7 can t speak it makes you feel bad, very bad, very uncomfortable, like you are more down than the other people. For us we are looking for the future. We are young men and we have something to achieve I think English is the first step because we are trying to integrate into society. With no English it is impossible If you have English maybe you can get a better job, you understand the system. (Mayeli from the Congo) The uncertainty about their futures made it difficult for them to concentrate on learning English: The other issue is you have to feel stable and comfortable psychologically in order to improve in the English language I m not sure whether I ll [be allowed to] stay after three years. If I know that I would encourage myself and push myself to study English more. (Hussein from Iraq) Access to housing The seven people on Bridging Visas with no access to federal income support and services relied upon housing provided through churches. Without it they would have been homeless. Another seven had, unusually, been able to gain access to public rental housing. They had secure housing and relatively low rental payments (limited to 25 per cent of income). The remaining 24 were renting privately. Private rental housing was difficult to obtain and often of a low quality and the rent levels added to the financial struggle. To rent a place for us is difficult. If we say we are asylum seekers, you are not going to get a place. You have to have a guarantor who is able to help you before you can actually rent a place. (Carlos, from East Timor) To rent a house there are some difficulties because for a person who isn t working, the first thing the agent asks is What s your job, how much are you earning? So if you look at the houses we re living in, they re in bad condition. (Ali, from Iraq) What people told us Access to education Participants had access to primary and secondary education for their children, commendably provided through the Victorian State Government. They were, however, virtually excluded from tertiary courses, as they would have to pay full fees up front without the option of deferred fee payment. The children love school but [when] they finish their year 12 they can t go to university, because university costs a lot of money. My son actually goes to primary school and is exempt from the school fees, but for my daughter to go to kinder costs something like $500. We don t have the money so we don t let our children go to attend the [school] camp. (Carla, from East Timor) How can my children live? It s not very bad, it s worse than bad. Gino, he s my eldest son, he s 12 years old, he feels very bad at school because he can t go to the activities like the other children because the school wants money. Access to health services The major problem with access to health services was for the seven on Bridging Visas who had been excluded from Medicare. I don t have Medicare and I am very troubled by health. In January I was very depressed and collapsed while I was crossing the road, and people on the road took me to the hospital and there they gave me saline and a lot of tests The hospital sent a bill for $636 and $107 for the ambulance. (Mikal, from the Middle East) We have this Bulla Bulla health centre in Footscray, they have a doctor for only two days per week. I am not blaming them before that we did not have [even] that opportunity. Now two of my family are sick. My [four-year-old] son was in the hospital last week. Now there is no place for him to go because the doctor is only coming two days per week. So we are suffering. (Aravinda, from Sri Lanka) For more information Migration Action, published three times yearly by the Ecumenical Migration Centre (EMC), is a key resource on refugee and asylum seeker issues. Recent issues include: Australia s response to recent asylum seekers (April/May 2000) Community support for asylum seekers (October/ November 2000) From detention to temporary protection (November/ December 2000) Behind public policy on asylum seekers (April/May 2001) Australia s refugee policy crisis (October 2001) Asylum seekers and the rise of populism (December 2001) Single copies are $15. Annual subscriptions $40 (individuals) $45 (institutions) $25 (students) Contact the EMC by phone (03) or migrationaction@bsl.org.au, or check the EMC website at <bsl.org.au/services/migration> 7

8 Some asylum seekers had drawn their own conclusions about the kind of treatment they received in Australia. They pointed to the inappropriateness of the system as a deterrent to people seeking Australia as an asylum destination. While I was in the detention centre I used to read newspapers and I read about the Immigration Minister who said, after the new legislation, I will keep these people. He kept us for one year as punishment to get the message to other people not to come to Australia. So it s obvious that it s not the reputation of good treatment of refugees in Australia [that brings them here] but because people are desperate and experiencing hardship, as a drowning man clutching at straws. (Kadh from Iraq) The stories told in this bulletin illustrate the intolerable pressure being placed upon people who came with a history of pain and suffering, seeking in Australia a safe refuge. The purpose of the current system of treatment of these people appears to be to deter others from journeying here to seek asylum. But as Kadh commented, why would even this poor treatment deter people who are desperate? If the people we spoke with are eventually allowed to remain in Australia, then current government policy has added to the burden of their adjustment. Many have only the hope of a temporary protection visa for 3 to 5 years and face a future of continuing uncertainty, consigned Implications to the margins of society, despite being found to be refugees. Others, if unable to prove their fear of persecution, will have to leave Australia and as a society we will have added a period of darkness to their already difficult lives. High quality bipartisan political leadership has in the past brought humanity and justice to our treatment of those seeking safe refuge in our country. Such leadership is needed now more than ever. This research and the on-going work of the Brotherhood s Ecumenical Migration Centre suggest that the following measures are needed to ensure just and compassionate treatment for people seeking refuge: Asylum seekers should be quickly processed and accommodated in the community, with appropriate humanitarian support and with reasonable reporting requirements to prevent absconding (unless a person is individually assessed as a security, health or safety risk). Those asylum seekers accepted as refugees under the Refugee Convention should be given permanent protection and thus be entitled to family reunion and to the full range of essential settlement services. For people seeking Australia s protection, public funds should be used to provide adequate humanitarian services in the areas of housing, health care, education, and income support, rather than the current costly system of detention (for some). All those waiting for a decision on their application for permanent protection should have the right to paid work, in order that they have the opportunity to support themselves. There is a special case for protection for those groups, such as the East Timorese, who having fled violence in their country of origin, have lived in Australia for an extended period of time, even if now unable to qualify as refugees. It is the view of the Brotherhood of St Laurence that the federal government has got its treatment of those seeking Australia s protection badly wrong. It is government policy that has contributed to these stories of fear, anxiety and depression. As a country, we can do much better without in any way encouraging unwanted migration or eroding border control. At the same time we can re-establish our national and international reputation as a just and fair society in our treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. Please send me future Changing bulletins Name Organisation Postal address Published November 2002 by Brotherhood of St Laurence 67 Brunswick Street Fitzroy, 3065 Victoria Australia ABN Telephone (03) Facsimile (03) Contact phone number Special interest area(s) Mail to: Changing Social Action and Research Division Brotherhood of St Laurence 67 Brunswick St Fitzroy Vic 3065 Or fax (03) , publications@bsl.org.au, or phone (03)