Re: FECCA submission on the size and composition of Australia s Humanitarian Programme

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1 Ms Judith O Neill Director Humanitarian Policy and Management Section Department of Immigration and Citizenship PO Box 25 BELCONNEN ACT submission@immi.gov.au Dear Ms O Neill Re: FECCA submission on the size and composition of Australia s Humanitarian The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) is pleased to provide this submission to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on the size and composition of the Humanitarian. FECCA is the national peak body representing and advocating for, diverse cultural and linguistic communities. Our role is to advise, advocate, and promote issues on behalf of our constituency to government, business and the broader community. FECCA promotes Australian multiculturalism, community harmony, social justice, community participation and the rejection of discrimination so as to build a productive, culturally rich Australian society. FECCA welcomes Australia s Humanitarian as a practical expression of Australian commitment to the well being of others. FECCA advises that Australia s Humanitarian must be flexible, and be able to respond effectively in times of international crisis. We recommend that processes be established so that Australia can safely accommodate large numbers of refugees seeking re-settlement as a result of major humanitarian emergencies in any part of the world if, and when needed. There could be reserve capacity designed into the programme, able to be activated for disaster situations. The Kosovo response provides a useful basis to plan from

2 Size of the Humanitarian FECCA acknowledges that the size of the Humanitarian programme increased from 12,000 people per year in 1996 to 13,000 people per year in Recent months have seen growing numbers of displaced peoples, due to the ongoing effects of environmental disasters and continuing political instability in countries in the Middle East and many countries in Africa. Australia's economy has continued to prosper and unemployment is recorded at very low levels. Australian society has capacity to properly fund and absorb additional humanitarian entrants. We therefore argue that in order to more effectively respond to these humanitarian crises, Australia should increase our annual humanitarian programme intake to at least 15,000 people. Composition of the Strong links with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are vital to understanding emerging humanitarian crises and people with a clear need for resettlement. The specific needs of refugees, particularly women and children, and especially unaccompanied minors, must be recognised, and their applications for resettlement processed as a matter of priority. We are strongly supportive of the ongoing focus on the women at risk category. FECCA argues that it is vital that family reunions be targeted as a priority within the Humanitarian. We believe that up to 25% of the current places should be available for reuniting the families of refugees. We also recognise additional flexibility is needed to accommodate differing cultural perceptions of family beyond the nuclear family. FECCA continues to be concerned that current Temporary Protection Visa holders find it almost impossible to get immediate family members to join them in Australia. This system of enforced separation can last for years, destroying family cohesion, causing ongoing distress and enforcing poverty through people continuing to send money to family members in their country of origin. It is also well recognised that family reunion facilitates successful settlement in a new country. FECCA recommends that financial support, for example through a community loans scheme, be provided for applicants and proposers under the Special Humanitarian. This would help to alleviate the extreme financial barriers applicants face and would facilitate the timely reuniting of families. Continuing tensions in the Middle East, Africa and Myanmar are creating increasing numbers of displaced persons seeking refuge in other countries. We therefore support the continuing Humanitarian programme focus on these countries. We also strongly support the Refugee Council s recommendation that humanitarian entrants from sub-saharan Africa - 2 -

3 continue to be a strong component of the program, despite negative publicity concerning a very small section of this community. We remain concerned about the adequacy of orientation to life in Australia both before, and on initial arrival in Australia. Major gaps have been exposed in orientation to even basic survival skills such as how to use a telephone to call emergency services, and how to seek assistance when your first language is other than English. Settlement services must be adequately funded and resourced, delivered with sensitivity and cultural competence, and designed to effectively orient humanitarian entrants to building a new life. Positive steps have been taken to address many of these concerns in the last twelve months and more needs to be done. We have addressed these concerns in detail in our Submission to the Improving Settlement Outcomes for Humanitarian Entrants discussion paper: Australian Cultural Orientation FECCA appreciates that the pre-embarkment orientation programmes offered to people before they reach Australia have been strengthened in the last twelve months and congratulates all involved in making this progress. We acknowledge the information booklet Beginning Life in Australia, available when people arrive in Australia is now available in 24 community languages. We also hope that these booklets are not just handed out but are used in an integrated way as a part of a wider program focusing on educating people about life in Australia, delivered by well regarded settlement service providers with strong connections to the communities within which they work. However, we are concerned that resources offered before people arrive in Australia may still not be effectively meeting the needs of people needing to learn about what life in Australia will be like. We advocate for extending the range of community languages that pre-embarkment orientation is available in. We also argue that orientation must also be delivered in culturally appropriate ways, not just by handing out written resources for people to take away and read. FECCA is concerned that the programme must be extended so that it is routinely available for pre-literate clients. This is particularly important since many refugees and humanitarian entrants experience interrupted schooling due to displacement from their country of origin. This has a strong impact on literacy in one s own language. Orientation programmes for preliterate clients could also be adapted for predominantly oral languages, such as Somali. Access to services once humanitarian entrants reach Australia FECCA is frankly worried about the current focus on mainstreaming of services and the expectation that mainstream services will be culturally - 3 -

4 competent to effectively meet the needs of humanitarian entrants. FECCA acknowledges that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship needs to be able to at some stage limit its obligations towards humanitarian entrants. We believe that the cultural competence of human and health services in Australia is still developing, and that it is currently unrealistic to expect that the settlement, health, employment and other needs of humanitarian entrants can be effectively met by mainstream services. Torture and trauma services represent a practical recognition of this reality. It is important that a range of government departments, not just the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, be engaged in helping humanitarian entrants develop an understanding of life in Australia. For example, family and parenting orientation programmes, delivered by the Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs would assist in building understanding of parenting practices and relevant laws (for example laws relating to domestic violence) which may differ greatly from those of people s country of origin. Police Forces, with assistance through the Australasian Police Multicultural Advisory Bureau, are responding to the diverse needs of people who have come as Humanitarian entrants from countries in which the role of Police and relationships with the community were very different. The success of this important work will we believe, help to counter some of the negative perceptions about new arrivals that exist in the community and expressed through the actions of organizations such as the Tamworth City Council. It is vital that English language courses specifically tailored to meet the needs of emerging refugee communities are available for flexible delivery through programmes like the Adult Migrant English (AMEP). FECCA recommends that increasing funding for AMEP be considered to ensure that community needs are effectively met, particularly given imminent changes to Citizenship requirements. Language is a key indicator of integration into a society and English as a Second Language programmes need to be further boosted to make them adequate to meet needs of humanitarian entrants. This includes the needs of children. Anecdotal evidence indicates that it takes much more than one year for some people from African countries, particularly those who have experienced torture and trauma, to operationalise their English language skills. Current funding arrangements severely impact on people s ability to learn English to a level that allows them to be successful in education, workforce training and securing fulfilling employment. High quality, effective, affordable translating and interpreting services are critical to successful settlement, especially given the many challenges inherent in developing literacy in English. Australia has an impressive record to build on in this regard. FECCA calls for additional resources to be allocated for the purchase of language services and the exploration of new models of delivering translating and interpreting services to be trialled with educational institutions, including universities and TAFE colleges and the - 4 -

5 language service industry, while maintaining high levels of accreditation and language competence. FECCA has been made aware of a lack of appropriate housing stock for refugees and humanitarian entrants. Experience reported to the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory and the Multicultural Council of Tasmania highlights the lack of appropriate housing options for people with large families. Concern was also expressed about discrimination and racism experienced by humanitarian entrants seeking housing on the private rental market. This is leading to a crisis in accommodation for humanitarian entrants in some areas of Australia, particularly where affordable housing is at a premium. FECCA believes that a strong, appropriately funded national network of Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) must be available to support the settlement and other needs of emerging refugee communities. Small and emerging communities are less likely to be able to locate services or create organisations that can help them meet basic needs. Organisations like MRCs need to be able to link people with other services and organisations and assist community members to develop social supports within their own communities. MRCs play a critical community building role, and must be provided with adequate funding to be able to effectively fulfil this role. The social cohesion for which Australia can be justly proud is due in no small part to the work of the MRCs and this work needs to continue to expertly support the Humanitarian programmes. All government funded settlement agencies must be strongly encouraged to identify and encourage leadership amongst humanitarian entrants, to facilitate and support the building of community as quickly as possible. Strong, supportive communities are a key factor in successful settlement. Resettlement in rural and regional areas in Australia FECCA argues that if the Government policy of resettlement in rural and regional areas of Australia is to continue, there must be a corresponding focus on building community readiness and vibrant, welcoming rural communities. Planning and action are required to ensure that we are able to effectively utilise the skills and energy of and humanitarian entrants wishing to settle in rural and regional areas. Some of the issues facing individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CLDB) and families living in rural Australia include: limited knowledge of services available, limited information on how to access services, poor communication strategies for new humanitarian entrants, poorly planned settlement services for humanitarian entrants, particularly those who have experienced torture and trauma, - 5 -

6 limited education opportunities for diverse communities, inadequate funding for some regional initiatives, unemployment of young adults, problems with housing and cultural awareness, jobs for partners (eg. husbands of medical practitioners), discrimination and stereotyping from some members within the host community, and accessing services that are provided in a culturally appropriate manner. Settlement service provision has largely been predicated on a White Anglo-Celtic paradigm. It will take some time for rural and regional people to appreciate the changes and opportunities a multicultural Australia brings. Rural areas must be able to welcome new migrants and humanitarian entrants, to offer employment choices that utilise existing skills and create opportunities for people to become valued community members. In order to support sustainable immigration into regional and rural areas, communities must advocate and promote acceptance and celebration of cultural diversity. Without this, the skills and potential economic growth that humanitarian entrants can bring to rural and regional Australia will be lost. The barriers experienced by humanitarian entrants can be great. According to the HREOC report, New Country, New Stories - discrimination and disadvantage experienced by people in small and emerging communities, humanitarian entrants from small and emerging communities have reported the additional difficulty of being unable to demonstrate the qualifications they had completed due to their inability to bring relevant documents from their country of origin. Individuals also stated that they had difficulty obtaining permanent employment. (New Country, New Stories discrimination and disadvantage experienced by people in small and emerging communities, HREOC, 1999). An additional disadvantages are experienced by holders of temporary protection visas (TPVs). TPV holders are not eligible for Government assistance for English language tuition. Therefore barriers are created which make it difficult for TPV holders to access English language training. Such training would greatly enhance their chances of finding employment, or participating in training to build new skills. Anecdotal evidence from community consultations conducted by FECCA indicates that in some regions new humanitarian entrants of Islamic faith face discrimination and intolerance, often based on fear of difference. This is affecting the pattern of settlement and limiting the formation of links with broader sections of society. People from Christian faiths appear to be experiencing less discrimination and are welcomed more openly. There are other examples in which very large numbers of people of the Muslim faith have settled and been welcomed by communities. Shepparton in Victoria is definitely a case in point. Needless to say this has been backed up with settlement resources, local champions and a strong local and state - 6 -

7 bipartisan support. FECCA recommends careful consideration of recent successful models of community settlement and application of the strategies that are proving successful in other regions. The availability of community resources for example, including a place that could be used for worship, places when people can gather as a community, and access to a range of human services that meet community need are vital to successful settlement. FECCA acknowledges that our submission broadens the discussion beyond the size and composition of the humanitarian stream of Australia s immigration program. This is because we believe that facilitating successful settlement for newly arrived humanitarian entrants is vitally important. We have increasing concerns that people from particular communities, for example, the African community are being marginalised through negative media coverage and misinformation. Comprehensive, well designed orientation and settlement programs for new arrivals, together with community education programs for the wider Australian community will help to build understanding and foster acceptance, creating a strong basis for increasing the number of humanitarian entrants that Australia can accept. FECCA welcomes the opportunity to discuss any of the issues raised in this submission. Please do not hesitate to contact the FECCA Director, Mr Mark Kulasingham on (02) or myself, should you wish to do so. Yours sincerely Voula Messimeri FECCA Chairperson - 7 -