1/6/2002
The Unwanted Stranger? Refugees in Australia
The asylum process can be a long and traumatic one for the refugee applicants. It places much stress on them to meet very strict time limits and operate in a bureaucratic and legal culture often unfamiliar to them. Mental health workers note that applicants can be traumatised by the process and may be even worse off at the end than when they started, especially if in detention. Whilst it does help a few, the Government’s policy focus on immigration control means that safety nets are insufficient. Advocates fear that genuine cases miss out because there is such emphasis on preventing abuses.
Whilst it is unrealistic to hope that the Government will change the model from immigration control to a human rights model, it is possible to have a balance, which respects human rights and the dignity of people. What is required is a system designed to find the refugees and offer them the protection they need. The current system places greatest importance on border control and preventing abuses. This focus fails to recognize the complexities of human experience and does not protect rights nor respect people’s dignity. These challenges are particularly relevant for Australians in the twenty-first century.
