AUSTRALIA 32000 ASYLUM SEEKERS NOW FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS GOVT - TopicsExpress



          

AUSTRALIA 32000 ASYLUM SEEKERS NOW FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS GOVT SET TO MOVE MANY OF THEM ONTO TEMPORARY PROTECTION VISA FOR THREE YEARS SUBJECT TO THEIR CLAIMS ARE FOUND VALID WITH NO RIGHTS FOR PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS IN THE COUNTRY 5TH NOVEMBER 2013 The long-term future of nearly 32,000 asylum seekers is again unclear with the Coalition set to move many of them onto Temporary Protection Visas. The asylum seekers arrived by boat under the Labor government and those who are ultimately found to be legitimate refugees will no longer be able to get a permanent visa. The re-introducton of Howard-era TPVs means their residence in the country will be secure for a maximum of three years at a time. Thea Cowie reports the change is causing a lot of anxiety. Abdul Karim Hekmat knows exactly what it means to be on a Temporary Protection Visa. He came to Australia by boat from Afghanistan in 2001 and spent five months in Western Australias Curtin Detention Centre before being released on a TPV. He considers himself one of the lucky ones, securing a scholarship to study at University of Technology Sydney and going on to be a social worker. But he says many people were not so fortunate. People were under a lot of stress because (of) not knowing what would happen, the next month and the next year. So it was a sort of state of limbo. I had a friend who was not able to bring his family in Australia commited suicide in 2003 in Adelaide. People were really under pressure, what would happen to them? The Howard government began issuing TPVs in 1999 to refugees who came to Australia by boat. The visas lasted for three years and banned family reunions and overseas travel. Pamela Curr, from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, says shes been fielding countless calls from asylum seekers worried about what the reintroduction of TPVs will mean for them. What it means for them is that their wives and children who are in camps in Pakistan, or living on the margins in Iran, or even worse, living under fear in Afghanistan, will not be able to come and join them here and to escape to safety. Under the Howard government, TPV holders were unable to access most forms of Centrelink support and had no right to government-funded English classes or translating services. The Rudd Labor government abolished TPVs in 2007 but Mr Hekmat says those who were on Howard-era TPVs are still struggling. He says many former TPV holders are worried for the current cohort of asylum seekers. Because they were not able to study those funded English classes that are usually funded for people who come as a migrant and a refugee they are really struggling. They are struggling to find a job, they are struggling to integrate into wider society and also the mental impact. I know a lot of people that feel shivers from the fear when we hear other people have to go through again because we know that it was a very, very difficult time for us to go through this temporary protection visa regime. The Abbott government says it will reintroduce TPVs to deal with the almost 32,000 asylum seekers already in Australia before the Coalition came to power. At the time of the Coalitions victory, those asylum seekers were either the community on bridging visas, in community detention, in mainland detention centres or on Manus Island and Nauru. Of those asylum seekers, all who are found to be genuine refugees will be given TPVs but Prime Minister Tony Abbott says thats the best they can ever hope for. I cant say what might happen in 10, 20, 30 years time but what I can say is that if you come here illegally by boat, you should never expect to get permanent residency. If you are a refugee, you will be on a temporary protection visa and you should expect to be on a temporary protection visa indefinitely. In its latest policy document, the Liberal Party says the duration of TPVs will be decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on the circumstances in the applicants home country, but no visa will be longer than three years. At that stage the holder will have to return home, or re-apply for another TPV. Afghan refugee Abdul Karim Hekmat says at least under the Howard governments regime, TPV holders had a hope of gaining permanent protection. I think its very worse under this new proposed policy that people will not get permanent protection visa if they come by boat. As a community worker I see this pain in their face every day coming to talk about their familys safety and how theyre going to survive in the next few years while their family is away and they are not able to come to Australia. Under the new TPV regime, refugees will have work rights but those rights may be restricted to specific geographic regions. Those who cant find employment will be able to access welfare payments but will have to participate in a work for benefits program like Work for the Dole. Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young will move to disallow government regulation for TPVs as soon as parliament resumes next week. If the majority of Senators support the disallowance motion, the TPV regulation could be blocked for six months. The Greens and Labor continue to have control of the Senate, and Senator Hanson Young is calling on the former government to stick by its opposition to TPVs. This is really a challenge now to the Labor Party. Theyve said for years they dont support Temporary Protection Visas. The parliament has the right to say no. Its up to the Labor Party now as to whether they will stick by their word, support the proper treatment of refugees, do what they can to help refugees resettle and start putting their lives back together. Or continue Tony Abbott down a very, very low road of cruelty and punishment.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 04:21:44 +0000

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