Introduction- Rebecca Lim Caseworker 1979-1980 Indo-Chinese refugee camp Indonesia Red Cross Settlement Officer, 2000-2001 Australian Immigration officer/team leader 2002-2007 Registered migration agent since 2007 Lecturer, ANU Grad Cert Migration Law 2008-2010 9 deployments to detention centres Christmas Island, Darwin, Weipa, Leonora 2010-2012; and 2014 Manus Island, PNG Romero Centre since 2012 volunteer migration agent, volunteer coordinator, community engagement coordinator Worked in Sri Lanka, China, Israel Visited refugee camps in India, Hong Kong and Cambodia next month
Key concepts Who is a migrant? A migrant may leave his or her country for many reasons that are not related to persecution, eg employment, family reunion or study Who is a refugee? Refugees forced to flee because of threat of persecution and because they lack protection in their own country; and have been through some legal process Who is an asylum seeker? Someone seeking protection
How many people are displaced globally? At end of 2012, 45.2 million people forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, generalised violence and human rights violence Of this, 15.4 million were refugees 7.6 million newly displaced 3.3 million stateless individuals in72 countries Developing countries hosted over 80 per cent of world s refugees (top 3 are Pakistan, Ethiopia and Kenya) Compared to other refugee-hosting countries, Australia receives a very small number of asylum applications and accept 3% of world s refugees *source: UNHCR Global Trends 2012
The right to asylum Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. Art. 14(1), Universal Declaration of Human Rights *Source International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Who is a refugee? The 1951 UN Refugee Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is the key legal document. defines who is a refugee outside country of nationality or habitual residence, well-founded fear of persecution, unable or unwilling to avail the protection of the home country provides for specific standards of treatment of refugees (their rights) legal obligations of states does not say anything about procedures for determining refugee status
Can a country that has not signed the 1951 Convention refuse to admit a person seeking protection? The principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of a refugee to a territory where his or her life or freedom is threatened, is considered a rule of customary international law. As such it is binding an all States, regardless of whether they have acceded to the 1951 Convention or 1967 Protocol. A refugee seeking protection must not be prevented from entering a country as this would amount to refoulement.
Mandatory detention? Australia is one of few nations in the world who mandatorily detains asylum seekers who arrive without visas. In North America and many European nations, most asylum seekers regardless of how they arrive in the country are allowed to live in the community while their applications are processed. Only those individuals deemed to be a high security risk are detained. Australian practice has shown that asylum seekers allowed to live in the community in which their asylum claims are processed are highly unlikely to abscond. This is because they have a vested interest in cooperating in order to gain full protection rights. Treating people with dignity and presuming innocence rather than guilt helps to reinforce their trust in the system.
How does Australia deal with refugees and asylum seekers? In 3 ways with the no advantage bridging visas the most punitive Some stay in detention centres across Australia and offshore in Nauru and Manus Island (PNG) Some are streamlined into Community Detention Some are released into the community on bridging visas Arrivals by boat before 13 August 2012 have work rights Arrivals by boat after 13 August 2012 have NO work rights
How many refugees and asylum seekers are in some form of detention? As of 4 July 2013, there were approximately 9,000 refugees and asylum seekers in some form of detention 1800 are children
What does this mean? Families and vulnerable adults traditionally placed in Community Detention until recently Case worker support and basic needs provided Bridging visas holders 6 week case work support to register Medicare and basic orientation to Brisbane including accommodation in motels After 6 weeks, left to their own devices fend for themselves on 89% of Special Benefit = $220 a week for single person (to cover rent, transport, food, clothing) They will have to learn to live in poverty DIBP has recently released families onto bridging visas
Romero Centre - history Refugee and asylum seeking support agency in Dutton Park Set up in 2000 refugees granted temporary protection visas Bishop Oscar Romero, human rights campaigner El Salvador Program of Mercy Community Services Ministry of Sisters of Mercy Brisbane Congregation Place of welcome to meet the unmet needs with various activities and programs for people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Burma, Sudan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and many more
Our response? Emergency support and material aid English language classes, sewing group, playgroup, school holiday program, form filling clinics, resume writing, men s group offsite, migration assistance, community space Evolved to respond to needs of asylum seekers 3 workers (community engagement and development, admin and volunteer management) Large volunteer program including visits and programs such as music, women s group, ESL classes, occupational therapy for children at BITA detention centre in Pinkenba
Our response Of approximately 24,000 people on bridging visas, 15% (3500) in Qld and 70% are in Brisbane and surrounding areas Faith and non-faith based, community groups and individuals mobilised the community for emergency support and material aid 1231 new clients from June 2013 to April 2014 October 13 to May 14 approximately 50 speaking engagements to raise awareness Active participation in sector meetings and Refugee Council of Australia working groups Set up more English language classes where people live (people were walking 1-2 hours to Romero s ESL classes) Inala, Stafford and Woodridge Bike drives, housing assistance Meaningful engagement, welcome hubs, sponsor training courses Linking with volunteers or communities for friendship
Emergency support and material aid August 2013 to December 2013 200 blankets, 100 towels 100 cutlery and crockery sets 70 bicycles with helmets 50 pillow sets, 50 packets of linen 15 PC or laptops 15 household starter packs 50 Christmas hampers 1 guitar 10 TV sets More recently: - In addition to the above, rice cookers, travel go-cards, Coles/Woolworths vouchers, Telstra phone cards, 2-wheeled shopping trolleys, flowers and handwritten cards with cash donations for Mother s Day
Meaningful engagement Supporting artists Nurturing them Art exhibitions Art to express and reflect their experiences Fruit and vegetable carving workshops
Artworks
Fruit and vegetable carving
Meaningful engagement Training case study Sponsored 2 Tamil asylum seekers bridging visas Full fee paying 12-week courses Cert lll Hospitality Cert III Storage and Warehousing forklift Very motivated young men in early 30 s who wanted to set themselves up for a future in Australia Other volunteer work QUT - science-based research Oxfam St Vincent de Paul warehouse Inala Family Support Centre
Welcome hub case study: Redlands for Refugees Motivation Increased understanding and interaction with people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds Outcomes 3 hospitality events and 1 more for the year + art exhibition Prayer vigil Community event film screening and Q&A Donations to Romero including 40 bunches of flowers for Mother s Day Active participation rallies, lantern parade Feedback Opportunity to engage and interact with people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds. Clients enthusiastic about getting out and about meeting new people they tell me most Australians are so friendly
Photo of hospitality day Wellington Point
Challenges Resources Space Helplessness Poverty Hopelessness Deteriorating mental health Supporting returnees
Clients reflections Rebecca you know, many people like you helping us thank you, but many people also vote this government and this government make decision about my visa. If cannot get visa, I jump into ocean and swim to nearest island. I am good swimmer. I can live by myself in island. I cannot go back Sri Lanka. (Tamil asylum seeker ) Yesterday I talk with Leo (Leo Seemanpillai, self-immolated and died) friends. They say if they get letter to go back to Sri Lanka, they are thinking also set on fire. Too much torture and jail 7 years. If you know like this in your country, you will go back? We will go back our country [Sri Lanka] if safe. Our motherland, why we stay here everything so difficult, cannot work, go crazy, everyday suffering, family suffering. Please you go to my country and bring my daughter [2 years old] in suitcase with one tube oxygen so she breath.(tamil asylum seeker) I have been recognised as a refugee by the RRT [Refugee Review Tribunal] and I don t want a temporary visa and I don t want to go back to Afghanistan. I want my family to be protected beside me in Australia. (Hazara refugee)
My final word Personal experiences and stories from detention centres very grounding It is a privilege to work with people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds who trust you to tell their stories Impact on staff and community Reactionary response Visited refugee camp in India Dec 2013 Assist refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong (transit destination) August 2014 Consultation with Tamil refugees in Brisbane