Australian Elections Gain Momentum

Cate Hopkins,

Correspondent (Oceania)

 

As the Australian election campaign begins to build momentum, immigration laws find themselves in the spotlight once more.

This week, five people are thought to have died as a boat carrying over 100 asylum seekers sank in the Java Trench.

The boat is believed to have been bound for Christmas Island, the territory north of Jakarta where Australia operates an asylum seeker detention centre. 106 people are believed to have been rescued from the water by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

The disaster throws the spotlight on Australia’s immigration policies. Both Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott have promised to take a hard line on what both parties see as the unacceptable amount of asylum seekers who arrive by boat. The “Stop The Boat” campaign, which was implemented by the current Labor government and came into force on 19^th July this year, is part of the initiative to find alternative placement for people arriving in Australia by boat claiming asylum. Most are deported to Papua New Guinea or Nauru.

The hard line on asylum is also supported by the opposition Liberal party. Abbott has been said to be following in the footsteps of Australia’s last Liberal Prime Minister John Howard. It is reported that under his leadership, an average of three boats arrived in Australia per year claiming asylum. Abbott claims that his aim is to return to this standard, although it is his ideal that zero boats arrive.

“The point is, this is our country and we determine who comes here,” Abbott says.

This hard line is reportedly aimed at reducing trade for the illegal people trafficking trade that operates from Indonesia to Australia. Both parties base their policies on the theory that if the people traffickers are deprived of their trade, illegal operations will decrease in the region.

For the 106 survivors of last week’s tragedy, most of whom are families with children, an uncertain future awaits. They arrived, some naked, most having lost their few treasured possessions, in Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

In Australia, it is possible to claim asylum without having official documentation. However, for the entire region, visa arrangements are currently under review. It is possible that failed asylum seekers may be subject to involuntary repatriation. Refugees granted asylum in Australia might also be required to work to claim their benefit money from the government.

The Australian Green Party and activists on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers have criticised the direction that immigration law is taking in Australia, calling the 19^th July ruling not only harsh, but cruel. Julian Burnside QC, a refugee advocate, is quoted as saying that if Australia were to begin returning refugees to a malevolent homeland would compromise Australia’s international obligations.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has issued a challenge to find a better alternative.

However, for the survivors of this tragedy, the future is filled with uncertainty and doubt.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons