Refugee Resettlement In Australia Today

Refugee resettlement is a very important and debated issue in Australia today. A refugee is a person who has fled their country of origin and is unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. (Amnesty 2012). This is an issue that is extremely relevant, especially with large outflows of refugees from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia (UNHCR 2015, p.4), with people who are left with nowhere to go. Australia is built on immigrants and refugees, and it is what has built our nation today. However, refugees are shone in a very bad light, especially through the media, and are often seen as a burden
It is true they cost short term economically, however the long term benefits show to outweigh the short term, as they begin working and placing money into the Australian economy. For example, German economists Fratzscher and Junker predict that Germany’s economy will improve greatly in 4-5 years after the resettlement of refugees (Sola 2016, p. 1). They also help resettle regional areas. According to Dunlop (2015), Karen refugees from Burma, who settled in the western town of Nihl in Victoria, have bought success both economically, and socially, to a town that was suffering. He argues that, “Part of the problem is we have surprisingly little data about the economic effects of humanitarian immigration to really be able to make informed decisions”. By placing refugees in regional areas they are increasing the working population and investing money into businesses in that area, also with their generations to follow. Socially, refugees have also made positive contributions through donations to their original homeland, and with volunteering within their own, and the wider community (Fozadar & Hartley 2013, p. 29). They show a willingness to get straight into the workforce in order to provide for their families, rather than relying on the welfare of the government. However, it can be very difficult to obtain and find work due to lack of Australian workforce experience and often
Having refugees not only locked up in detention centres, but also stuck in refugee camps elsewhere is harrowing. As not only Australians, but humans, we have responsibility to protect their human rights, which is supported through Article 13 and 14 in the UN declaration of human rights, which Australia has signed onto (UN General Assembly, 1948). Through spending millions by placing them into offshore detention centres has shown to be way more costly than bringing them to Australia and positively contributing to the economy and our society. Everyone deserves a chance at life. It’s time we put away our selfish ideals and welcome refugees to Australia as we are welcoming the future of Australian people who have formed this nation