by Sara Peiris
You might have heard the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, has warned 200 asylum seekers involved in the riots taking place on Christmas Island may have visas revoked even if their circumstances were genuine. By launching explosives, rioting and burning buildings, asylum seekers defied the authorities prolonging their detention further. Sparked by Serco’s decision to lock the roller doors in different parts of the centre, revolt fever spread to Darwin and Curtin as well.
Advocates and dissenters have aired different viewpoints on the asylum seeker situation. Paul Power, the chief executive of the Refugee Council of Australia suggests the unrest was predictable given the delay in processing visas. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said they did not condone the violent uprising but the impact of mandatory detention on the mental health of detainees was of concern.
Asylum seekers who arrive on the Australian mainland (or in any non-excised part of Australia) and apply for protection are assessed through the refugee status determination system that applies under the Migration Act of 1958 (Cth). Asylum seekers who arrive in excised offshore places such as Christmas Island are closed off from the system that applies under the Migration Act. In the viewpoint of the Australian Human Rights Commission, this two-tiered system for determining whether an asylum seeker is a refugee contravenes Australia’s international human rights obligations and those under the Refugee Convention.
It is a tough call. It’s not good to encourage people to seek asylum via boat or other means as this enriches people smugglers and puts those who are already suffering under more hardship. Neither is it good to pardon the detention centre issue especially when young children are involved. Despite enforced detention, people continue coming because they have no idea of what awaits them. The media sometimes distorts facts pitting Australians against the asylum seekers using finances as bait. For your information, the refugee council does a good job in sorting out the myth from truth. What’s your stance?
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