Has the Treatment of Asylum Seekers Significantly Changed Since the Rudd Government Ended the 'Pacific Solution'?
Has the treatment of asylum seekers significantly changed since the Rudd Government ended the 'Pacific Solution '?
The Australian government’s approach to asylum seekers has been highly controversial and well publicized, both nationally and internationally, over the past two decades. Australia is a state that has developed and grown through immigration, however all throughout its history, policies have been implemented to prevent foreign settlers from arriving in the country. While the Rudd government has softened asylum policies, more could be done to ensure a more humanitarian and international approach is adopted.
Prime Minister Paul Keating began the mandatory detention for asylum seekers in 1992, in response to the growing concern of the number of people seeking asylum in Australia from Cambodia, China and Indonesia (Freeman). Initially an asylum seeker could only be detained for a maximum of 273 days, however this restriction was removed in 1994; thereby permitting individuals to be indefinitely detained (Freeman). It is not an uncommon practice to detain asylum seekers while their documentation is being processed. Criticism of Australian immigration policies has arisen due to the poor conditions of the detention centres, the treatment and mental health of individuals detained and the length of detention (Freeman).
Australia’s governmental policy on asylum seekers came under international scrutiny in 2001 during the "Tampa Affair" when a Norwegian freighter, MV Tampa, rescued 438 asylum seekers from a shipwreck and attempted to land on Australian territory (Freeman). Under international law, any shipwrecked survivors are to be taken to the closest port in order to receive medical treatment (Freeman). However, Prime Minister John Howard refused MV Tampa entry into Australian waters after the ship requested permission to transport the survivors to the closest port, which was Christmas Island (Freeman). Howard’s government ordered MV Tampa to return to
The Australian government’s approach to asylum seekers has been highly controversial and well publicized, both nationally and internationally, over the past two decades. Australia is a state that has developed and grown through immigration, however all throughout its history, policies have been implemented to prevent foreign settlers from arriving in the country. While the Rudd government has softened asylum policies, more could be done to ensure a more humanitarian and international approach is adopted.
Prime Minister Paul Keating began the mandatory detention for asylum seekers in 1992, in response to the growing concern of the number of people seeking asylum in Australia from Cambodia, China and Indonesia (Freeman). Initially an asylum seeker could only be detained for a maximum of 273 days, however this restriction was removed in 1994; thereby permitting individuals to be indefinitely detained (Freeman). It is not an uncommon practice to detain asylum seekers while their documentation is being processed. Criticism of Australian immigration policies has arisen due to the poor conditions of the detention centres, the treatment and mental health of individuals detained and the length of detention (Freeman).
Australia’s governmental policy on asylum seekers came under international scrutiny in 2001 during the "Tampa Affair" when a Norwegian freighter, MV Tampa, rescued 438 asylum seekers from a shipwreck and attempted to land on Australian territory (Freeman). Under international law, any shipwrecked survivors are to be taken to the closest port in order to receive medical treatment (Freeman). However, Prime Minister John Howard refused MV Tampa entry into Australian waters after the ship requested permission to transport the survivors to the closest port, which was Christmas Island (Freeman). Howard’s government ordered MV Tampa to return to
References: ABC News, 2004, Last detainee leaves Manus island, ABC, Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/05/30/1119172.htm [accessed 26/9/2010] Crock, Mary, 2010, First term Blues: Labour, Refugees and Immigration Reform, The University of Sydney, Available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1601086 [accessed 26/9/2010] Freeman Fancesca, 2010 Pacific Solution: How Australia Reversed Course on Its Treatment of Asylum Seekers, Program on Human Rights: Stanford University, Available at http://humanrights.stanford.edu/docs/438 [accessed 26/9/2010] Hodge, Anna, 2010, Oceanic Viking deal will encourage other queue-jumpers: UN, The Australian, Available at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/oceanic-viking-deal-will-encourage-other-queue-jumpers-un/story-e6frgczf-1225844978206 [accessed 26/9/2010] Oakes, Laurie, 2010, Asylum arrivals rock Rudd’s election boat, The Daily Telegraph Available at: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/asylum-arrivals-rock-rudds-election-boat/story-e6frezz0-1225851989846 [accessed 26/9/2010] Smith, Stephen & O’Connor, Brendan, 2010, Changes to Australia’s Immigration Processing System, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Available at: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/media-releases/2010/ce10029.htm [accessed 26/9/2010] The Australian, 2010, Christmas Island Detention Centre Reaches Asylum Seeker Limit, The Australian, Available at: http://www.news.com.au/national/christmas-island-detention-centre-reached-asylum-seeker-limit/story-e6frfkvr-1225849088201 [accessed 26/9/2010] Whitmont, Debbie, 2008, To Deter and Deny, Four Courners, Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/archives/2002a_Monday15April2002.htm [accessed 26/9/2010 ]