UNHCR calls for Australia to end 'drama' in refugee debate
Updated
A top United Nations refugee official has called for an end to the drama of political debate in Australia about asylum-seekers.
Presenter: Linda Mottram, Canberra correspondent
Speaker: Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, UNHCR
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FELLER: The fact is that most of these people who arrive in Australia are determined to be refugees. So what you're seeing is a refugee arrival flow, not an irregular migrant flow or an illegal immigrant flow, but you're seeing refugees coming to this country and seeking its protection.
MOTTRAM: And yet we can't ignore the political context can we? I mean particularly in an election year. What do you think should be the message from Australia's politicians at this time on the refugee issue?
FELLER: I think de-dramatise the refugee debate and look at it for what it is. We keep talking a lot about 'the refugee problem' - what that ignores is the problems of refugees, if you see what I mean. Refugees are people who can comprise seriously traumatised individuals, separated children, even children-headed households, they can comprise people who have languished in refugee camps for anything from five to 25 years. These are huge problems for individuals, and I think it's important to put them back up front and centre when one is looking at refugee responsibilities and the responses of a government. The other thing I would suggest is that I appreciate it's an election year and we realise that that can have a tendency to distort the debate. But it is very important that the debate benefit from strong, ethical leadership at this point in time to make it quite clear that refugee issues, refugee problems, are not ones to suffer from the vagaries of party politics or become a seriously divisive issue at the political level. So I would suggest that it would be very good to try and build bipartisan support around a responsible and human rights sensitive management of the problem.
MOTTRAM: In a speech you gave late last year you referred to the protection space getting smaller I think. Is that still the case?
FELLER: Globally yes, it has shrunk. Whether it is shrinking on a daily basis I wouldn't want to be so pessimistic, but I do say there are marked signs of a move away from a responsible and rights-based approach to protection. We have seen a number of events in the region from (inaudible) of individuals such as the Laos Hmong at the end of last year from Thailand, to more broadly we've seen in this region and beyond detention practices, which from our perspective are way outside what regular guidelines on detention of asylum seekers would permit. We've seen problems associated with interception, turn-around of boats, we've seen a number of indicators, if you like, that suggests that protection space is not generous at the moment, no.
MOTTRAM: And where does Australia fit in that, because Australia still does detain some arrivals, the boat arrivals who are being detained on Christmas Island. Is that a concern to you?
FELLER: Australia has made some very important and positive steps over recent years, alternatives to detention are now a feasible option, particularly for children and families, which is a very positive step. The Pacific Solution has been unwound if you like. Christmas Island indeed we have discussed and expressed some concerns with Christmas Island to the government. We believe however that the procedures for refugee status determination on the island are adequate, we've said this. We would however have preferred an arrangement which would have allowed people who are rejected for status to be able to appeal their status through regular procedures, and that's not yet the case. It's also quite a challenge I think to get resources and support to people on Christmas Island. So there are alternatives to Christmas Island which are in our view would have been better, but that being said the progress has been marked and the challenge will be to maintain that progress.
