Human rights for refugees are the key to compassion

3 November 2009

A few days ago a tragedy played out in the Indian Ocean. Twelve Tamil refugees drowned when their boat capsized. Tony Abbott's responded with the comment:  "… this is a comprehensive failure and it's all the Prime Minister's fault''. He argued that if the federal government had a tougher refugee policy it would deter people from trying to reach Australia.

Mr Abbott and a few of his federal colleagues should think of the people not the politics.

The twelve who died were heading across the ocean possibly to Australia to rebuild their lives. They were among about 40 people who came together on a boat to set off on a journey of thousands of kilometres. Like Mr Abbott these people would have families and loved ones. But the difference for them is that life in their own country had become intolerable.

As the refugee debate rages with Labor and the Coalition attempting to appear both tough and compassionate it is time to remember that refugees and migrants have fundamental human rights.

No one has to put up with hardship and maltreatment.  If they chose to move to another country in an attempt to change their circumstances they have the right to do so.

The political leaders of our country have obligations set out in international agreements that Australia is signatory to. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 14 , "Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries freedom from persecution".

The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees passed in 1951 requires that Australia and other signatories use the UN definition in assessing claims for asylum and if the person applying is determined to be a refugee then the Australian Government is obliged under international law to provide protection.

The way Australia's political leaders are carrying on, one might assume that we are at the forefront in assisting refugees. This is not the case.

Low-income countries are home to the largest numbers of the world's refugees. The UN's High Commission for Refugees has reported that Pakistan has 1.78 million refugees, Syria 1.1 million, Iran 980,000 and Tanzania 322,000. Germany with 583,000 refugees and the United Kingdom with 292,000 are the only OECD countries in the top ten. Australia is ranked 51st, with 20,919 refugees, which is 0.2 per cent of the global total. Of this small percentage, 96 per cent arrived by plane, and only a small number arrived by boat.

These figures are sobering. Liberal leaders from Mr Abbott to Mr Malcolm Turnbull should move on from their obsession that there were fewer boats arriving off our coast in the aftermath of the Tampa incident.

It is time the Liberals and Labor took some lessons from how the former Liberal prime minister, Malcolm Fraser handled refugee arrivals in the 1980s. He did not use the issue to gain a political advantage but rather processed the claims of those refugees quickly and fairly.

The Labor government's Indonesian solution is already another dark chapter in Australia's handling of refugees. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has hit a new low with his plan to pay Indonesia to take asylum seekers before Australia has considered their refugee claim.
This policy means Australia is not carrying out our responsibilities outlined in the UN Convention for Refugees.  To make matters worse Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN convention on Refugees.

Labor and the Coalition spokespeople on this issue should be highlighting their parties' commitment to recognising the rights of these people, working for an improvement in the treatment of asylum seekers and for more rapid processing of their applications. These are the current priorities.

With climate change refugee numbers on the increase this is an issue that we need to sort out.

Yes we need compassion, but if we do not recognise and meet the fundamental rights that refugees are entitled to, then fine words become hollow.

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