18 March 2014
I
say little on the issue of refugees, assylum seekers, illegal
immigrants, or whatever else people may like to call them. It is a
divisive issue, one that sadly will be around for many years to come.
But I feel compelled to say something.
First, the numbers of people seeking assylum are staggering. Michael Gordon, writing in The Age, June 19, 2013, reports that by the end of 2012 there were more than 45 million people
It is not an Australian problem, or an Asian one - it is a world problem. In the overall scheme of things it is the poorer countries that carry the largest burden, and that is perhaps understandable. Poverty, corruption, violence and the like create a breeding ground for the circumstances that create the problem. Victims flee to equally poor neighbouring countries for safety.
But people are not only displaced by warfare and persecution because of their religion, race, political views etc. We also have environmental and economic refugees forced from their traditional lands by changing climates, greedy multinationals and other factors.
Figures I have seen tell me that among the world's developed economies Australia's record on supporting assylum seekers is a good one. Michael Gordon quotes quotes a representative from the UNHCR saying our contribution is 'signficant'.
If I listened to some people I would believe we do very liittle and that we are acting as barbarians by turning back boats or sending people to PNG. Now I admit that sometimes the pictures I see and the reports I hear make me feel ashamed of being Australian. But that is probably what the reports want me to feel.
I am not an apologist for the Abbott Government in this matter. But neither am I a critic. Why? Because the reports and pictures I see in the media do not tell the full picture.
Sure, its tough to be sent to PNG. I, for one, wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life there. Neither would I want to be sent back to Indonesia. Pictures of children in captivity are distrurbing.
But there are other issues. For example, how do we determine priorities for resettlement in Australia? Does turning up on our door because you can afford to pay a people smuggler mean you are more deserving than some dirt poor, half-starved African who can't afford a decent meal? Or is the way to ensure we can give priority to the most needy to take a tough line on those who seek to force their presence upon us? Maybe there are simply that many we should simple accept those that we believe can best fit in and contribute to our society. But if our solution is simply one that suits our self-interest can we ever hope to be part of a solution or are we simply contributing to the problem.
I don't have a solution. But neither do I see solutions being discussed in the media. What is worse, I don't seem to see balanced reporting, because the only thing that seems to get the media's - and therefore the public's - attention is pictures of boats and people protesting about boats. I see no informed debate, and without that there will never be a solution that is anywhere near half decent.
Reference
Michael Gordon, Refugee figures a reality check for Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald, June 19, 2013
First, the numbers of people seeking assylum are staggering. Michael Gordon, writing in The Age, June 19, 2013, reports that by the end of 2012 there were more than 45 million people
It is not an Australian problem, or an Asian one - it is a world problem. In the overall scheme of things it is the poorer countries that carry the largest burden, and that is perhaps understandable. Poverty, corruption, violence and the like create a breeding ground for the circumstances that create the problem. Victims flee to equally poor neighbouring countries for safety.
But people are not only displaced by warfare and persecution because of their religion, race, political views etc. We also have environmental and economic refugees forced from their traditional lands by changing climates, greedy multinationals and other factors.
Figures I have seen tell me that among the world's developed economies Australia's record on supporting assylum seekers is a good one. Michael Gordon quotes quotes a representative from the UNHCR saying our contribution is 'signficant'.
If I listened to some people I would believe we do very liittle and that we are acting as barbarians by turning back boats or sending people to PNG. Now I admit that sometimes the pictures I see and the reports I hear make me feel ashamed of being Australian. But that is probably what the reports want me to feel.
I am not an apologist for the Abbott Government in this matter. But neither am I a critic. Why? Because the reports and pictures I see in the media do not tell the full picture.
Sure, its tough to be sent to PNG. I, for one, wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life there. Neither would I want to be sent back to Indonesia. Pictures of children in captivity are distrurbing.
But there are other issues. For example, how do we determine priorities for resettlement in Australia? Does turning up on our door because you can afford to pay a people smuggler mean you are more deserving than some dirt poor, half-starved African who can't afford a decent meal? Or is the way to ensure we can give priority to the most needy to take a tough line on those who seek to force their presence upon us? Maybe there are simply that many we should simple accept those that we believe can best fit in and contribute to our society. But if our solution is simply one that suits our self-interest can we ever hope to be part of a solution or are we simply contributing to the problem.
I don't have a solution. But neither do I see solutions being discussed in the media. What is worse, I don't seem to see balanced reporting, because the only thing that seems to get the media's - and therefore the public's - attention is pictures of boats and people protesting about boats. I see no informed debate, and without that there will never be a solution that is anywhere near half decent.
Reference
Michael Gordon, Refugee figures a reality check for Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald, June 19, 2013
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