MEDIA RELEASE MORRISON’S PHONEY GENEROSITY FOR IRAQI AND SYRIAN REFUGEES: THERE’S NO INCREASE IN INTAKE The Refugee Action Coalition has condemned the government’s announcement of 4,400 places for Iraqi and Syrian refugees as selective and ‘phoney generosity’. One of the first things that the Coalition government did when it got into office was cut the overall refugee intake from 20,000 to 13,750. The government has not increased the intake in response to the crisis in Iraq and Syria, it has only set aside 4.400 places within the much reduced Special Humanitarian Program of around 7,750 places. Norway, Sweden, Germany have all increased their refugee intake in response to the crisis. Between 2012 and January 2014, Sweden had taken in at least 14,000 Syrian refugees, and says it will grant permanent residency to any Syrian asylum seekers that arrive in Sweden. Germany has committed to accepting 25,500 addition humanitarian and family reunion places in 2014. Around 40,000 Syrians have arrived in Germany since 2011, with 32,000 applying for asylum as of April 2014. “For a country that had a direct role in creating the crisis in Iraq, the number of refugees the Coalition says they will take from Iraq is paltry and hides the fact that the government has cut the refugee intake. It is phoney generosity, ” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition. HUNDREDS OF IRAQIS IN DETENTION “And it is hypocritical,” said Rintoul, “The government’s policy does nothing for the Iraqi and Syrian refugees in detention in Australia, Manus Island and Nauru. There are around 100 Iraqis (and five Syrians) on Manus, 46 Iraqis on Nauru and 519 Iraqis either in Australian mainland detention or in limbo on bridging visas in the Australian community. “The government also effectively ended family reunion for Iraqi and Syrian refugees when it ‘de-prioritised’ family reunion for refugee boat arrivals in January this year. This policy has left hundreds of women and children in danger. It is a disgrace that the government links the numbers of refugees in the special humanitarian intake with boat arrivals. “Instead of playing politics with the lives of asylum seekers and refugees and playing groups of asylum seekers against each other, the government should be providing genuine humanitarian assistance. The government’s mantra of ‘stopping the boats’ has got nothing to do with helping refugees in Iraq and Syria; it’s got everything to do with the government helping its own domestic agenda.” For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 2785 713
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 06:14:44 +0000
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