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This fortnight's thi>e Refugees - protecting the world's vulnerable people Issue 142
 
 


News alert!  
The proposed migration legislation has been withdrawn. The piece below provides an explanation about the proposed legislation. 

Revised action:

Write to thank the Members of the House of Representatives who crossed the floor and voted against the legislation.
Liberal MPs

Write to thank members of the senate


People come to Australia for many reasons. They come for holidays, to visit family, to start a new life. Some people decide to come here and make a conscious decision to make Australia their new home, and other people arrive here because they are fleeing their homeland due to war, fighting, or other forms of persecution.

Young Boy

August 26 marks the fifth anniversary of the Tampa incident. We all recall this “incident”. The Captain of the Norwegian cargo ship, Tampa , responding to a call of distress, rescued 438 asylum seekers who had become stranded off the Australian coast. The Captain then tried to take the asylum seekers to the nearest port, Christmas Island (an Australian territory). The Australian Government refused permission for this to happen.

And so another dark chapter in our history began.

Many other “incidents” relating to refugees have been added to this chapter since. Too many to mention and now we are at another turning point in Australia 's history.

Family

In June 2006, amendments were proposed to Australia 's Migration Law in the form of the Migration Amendment Bill 2006. Some of the things the Bill proposed include:

  • That all unauthorised arrivals reaching Australian territorial waters or territory be processed off-shore
  • That those deemed to be refugees are resettled in a third country (rather than Australia )

The Bill was condemned by politicians on all sides.

Sr Libby Rogerson, IBVM, Caritas Australia 's Diocesan Director and Social Justice Co-ordinator of the Diocese of Parramatta, has made the following comments about the Bill:

  • The Bill (legislation) appears to be mainly concerned about border protection rather than a humane response to people fleeing violence and persecution.
  • The legislation goes against the Refugee Convention, which Australia has signed, and is against International Law. It also breaches several of our human rights obligations.
  • The off-shore processing of asylum seekers deprives them of access to the legal avenues and assistance open to them in Australia .
  • By processing asylum seekers off-shore the proper oversight of government actions is avoided, appeals are made more difficult and the day to day conditions of refugees and their re-settlement options are insufficiently monitored. The mental health of the detainees is of particular concern.
  • The proposed changes do not address the possibility of excessive or indefinite detention.

Despite the recommendation on June 13, 2006 by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee that the “Bill should not proceed” it is likely (at the time of sign off on this piece) that there will be debate and a vote on this Bill in Parliament.

Despite the recommendations of The Palmer Report it seems that women and children will, again, be placed in detention without access to adequate schooling, recreational activities and health care.

Furthermore, following the 2004 report by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC), A Last Resort the Government changed the law last year so that children could no longer be put in detention except as a matter of “last resort”. While only a small gain, it now seems that the Government will reverse even this measure. In doing so, it is almost certain that unaccompanied minors seeking asylum will be detained and processed off shore which is a further breach of our International law in regard to children.

The Bill is also frightening because even when asylum seekers processed off-shore are recognised as refugees, the proposed changes would see Australia refusing to accept them. Imagine the consequences if the world decided to follow Australia 's example.

Libby Rogerson also comments: “There has been much debate over recent times of the importance of values in Australian society, values of care and compassion; integrity; respect; responsibility; fair go. Where are these values in the proposed legislation? Where, in this proposed legislation, is the genuine concern for the needs of others – the very measure of a decent society?”

Kid Hiding

To find out more about the proposed legislation and some action ideas visit:

World Migration Day is August 25.

Refugee and Migrant Sunday is August 27.

Now is the time to act.


   

Teaching and Learning Activities

RELIGION/PDHPE

1) There has been much discussion recently about Australian values. A National Framework for Values Education has been introduced into all Australian Schools.

  • What are these values?
  • How are these values applied within your school and local community?
  • How should we also be applying these values to the plight of asylum seekers? Why?

2) Go to brisbane-stories.powerup.com.au/
scatteredpeople/ under “photo documentary” click on [VIEW IMAGE GALLERY] Then select one of the three stories and use the photos along with the story as the basis for a prayer service on Refugees.

3) Go to www.cafod.org.uk/watch_listen/photo_
galleries/coping_with_the_camps and after viewing the photo gallery, write some class prayers and share ideas about how the people must have felt.

ENGLISH

The power of language

1) Read www.ozspirit.info/2005/114b.html and then answer the following questions.

  • What does it mean to be an “unofficial refugee”?
  • How are “unofficial refugees” treated in Australia?

2) Read the article by Adele Horin entitled “Young, alone and legally abandoned” at: www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/young-alone-and-
legallyabandoned/2006/08/04/1154198326239.html?
page=fullpage#contentSwap1 and answer the following questions:

  • What does it mean to be an “unaccompanied minor”?

  • According to International law, what special protections should unaccompanied minors arriving as asylum seekers and refugees receive? Hint: Look at the Convention on the Rights of the Child at www.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm

  • In the discussion piece above, who do you think are the “unauthorised arrivals reaching Australian territorial waters or territory be processed off-shore”? Why do you think the drafters of the legislation have described people in this way? (Consider the purpose in using this language). How does Adele Horin describe this group?

  • Why are some people forced to seek asylum by fleeing their country and arriving to Australia in boats? Consider the following: Are there queues in every country for people to join to seek refugee status? Does everyone own a passport? If you have to flee suddenly, can people access the necessary papers/documents?

  • According to Horin's article, why would the proposed changes to the legislation be particularly detrimental for unaccompanied minors?

  • What is “indefinite detention”? (This is referred to in the discussion piece above).

ENGLISH

 1) Go to www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/20
/1087669843457.html and read the article by Nooria Wazefadost.

  • Make a timeline showing where Nooria and her family were and what was happening to them from the time she left Afghanistan to the time she settled in Australia .

  • Nooria uses the motif of kneeling to explain what life is like as a refugee. Is this effective in conveying her message? Why?/Why not?

  • Write a letter to the editor commenting on the treatment of refugees when they arrive on Australian shores.

  • Put yourself in the shoes of a refugee like Nooria. Comment on how you would feel about having to leave your beloved homeland because of war and persecution to head off on a boat with no final destination in mind.

  • In small groups discuss why people may leave their own country to move to Australia . What are some of the barriers they may face when starting a new life here? Report back and discuss as a large group.

  • Go to brisbanestories.powerup.com.au/
    scatteredpeople/     and select one of the personal stories from the list on the left. Once you have read one, write a recount of the person's story mentioning the main points of their life including feelings and emotions as well as what each person did in order to survive the persecution or danger they faced in their homelands. Select from:

    • Aaron from China
    • Rio Domio from Africa
    • Ramona and her mother Brenda from Sri Lanka
    • Kitende from Kenya
    • Rodrigo from Colombia
    • Omid-Arezo from Iran

  • Go to www.cafod.org.uk/watch_listen/photo_
    galleries/coping_with_the_camps     and view the photo gallery. Discuss the images with a small group. Select one image and write a poem about the feelings you get from looking at the picture and reading the brief story.

  • Go to www.unhcr.org/cgibin/texis/vtx/basics
    /opendoc.pdf?tbl=BASICS&id=416e3eb24
    • What does IDP stand for?
    • How many persons of concern were there in January 2005?
    • Who does UNHCR help and how?
    • How many refugees were there in 2005?
    • How many asylum seekers were there in 2005?
    • Why is the exact number of people escaping war affected areas not known?

HSIE/SOSE

The discussion piece above alludes to several “incidents” in a dark chapter in our history regarding refugees.

1) As a class brainstorm what “incidents” have occurred since the Tampa crisis.

2) In small groups research one of the following “incidents” or another from the list from your brainstorming activity.

  • Tampa
  • Children overboard
  • SIEV X
  • Pacific Solution
  • Cornelius Rau
  • Deportation of Vivian Alvarez Solon
  • Palmer Report
  • HREOC's A Last Resort Report

Then answer the following questions:

  • Give a brief account of your “incident”: who did it involve? When? Where? How? Why?

  • What was the outcome?

  • What role did the respect for and upholding of human rights play in the making of decisions regarding asylum seekers in your selected “incident”?

Extension:
Comment on the use of language to describe both asylum seekers and the event itself in the topic you have selected. What is the purpose of using this kind of language? What affect does it have?

1) The UN's 1951 Convention on Refugees was set up at a very important time in history. It was after World War II when many people found themselves with no where to call home. Thinking of this, go to www.unhcr.org/1951convention/at50.html and read about what was happening at the time. List down reasons why it was essential that an international group such as the UN stepped in to try and fix the humanitarian crisis that was happening after the war.

2) Over the last few years, many myths concerning refugees have abound.

MATHS

1) Go to www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/basics and comment on the shape of the two pie graphs.

  • What are the two graphs measuring?

  • In the first graph, which region of the world has the highest number of refugees, asylum seekers and people of concern? Why might this be so?

Parish/Community/Social Justice Groups

1) For more information about the proposed
amendments to the Migration legislation go to:

2) Refugee and Migrant Sunday, August 27, 2006:
Refugee and Migrant Sunday is a celebration of the contribution refugees and migrants have made to Australia . It is held every year on the last Sunday in August in thousands of churches around Australia . Each year a parish kit and a schools CD containing education and action sheets and liturgical resources are available. This year BURMESE REFUGEES are especially featured. For further information see: www.ncca.org.au

3) NSW Ecumenical Council, Anticipating Refugee and Migrant Sunday Evening on “Asylum: Benchmarking Australian Values?” An evening with Dr Frank Brennan and Dr Eileen PittawayWhen: Wednesday 23 August 7pm-9pm (refreshments at 6.45pm) More details: Kathy Moroney (02) 9299 2215

4) Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman is a great book based on a fictional account of the journey of an Afghan family to Australia . It provides an insight into the experiences of young refugees and their journeys to Australia . Go to www.penguin.com.au/puffin/
Authors/titlenotes.cfm?SBN=0141308389&Author
=Morris%20Gleitzman to obtain purchase details, excellent information on Afghanistan and some very good teaching strategies. Although it is considered a children's book, the issues it raises are very relevant and real to all.

5) For books available on refugees, go to atschool.eduweb.co.uk/rmext05/glo/res.html
#resources

  
© 2004 Caritas and Church Resources   Home