Refugees May Reside In GippslandPossible plans in the works for Latrobe to become a Welcome Town By Emma Kae - 26th June 2002 - Back to News The issue of refugees and their place in our society has instigated much heated discussion between those for and against their acceptance in Australia. Unsurprisingly, this great controversy has arisen close to home in Gippsland, following the announcement of local group Rural Australian’s for Refugees (RAR) proposal to elect the Latrobe Valley as a Welcome Town for Refugees. The pronouncement, published in last Thursday’s edition of The Express, illustrated that if the Welcome Town plan were to go ahead, Latrobe would allow refugees to be ‘introduced to the general community to await the processing of their visas’.
Those on side with the refugees argue that we should be sympathetic to the needs of the asylum seekers (people who have applied for Australia's protection and are awaiting a determination of their status). Carolyn Raymond of RAR calls for us to put ourselves in the shoes of the refugees and ask ‘what would I do if I were facing persecution and possibly death, and had a chance to escape?’ (The Express). Even when accepted into the country, conditions for the asylum seekers have been described as, amongst other things, an ‘inhumane, harsh and punitive system’* (more… http://www.amnesty.org.au/airesources/index-37.html). The proposed ‘Welcome Town’ concept would allow refugees to reside in more open styles of accommodation.
Those in opposition to approving applications for refugees to stay in the country often do so as they consider refugees to be illegitimate migrants that drain Australia’s crucial resources and take opportunities from Australian residents. Much of this is unfounded. While many of us would admit to having a mental picture of a refugee as ‘a poor, homeless, uneducated person who decides to come to Australia to have a better life’** the truth is that refugees are people like ourselves. The only difference is that refugees are forced to leave their country to save themselves from ‘attacks, imprisonment, torture and death’**. The concerns of refugees are human rights and safety, not migration. A majority (about 80%) of recently detained asylum-seekers have been recognised as refugees.*
Currently, any person that arrives in Australia without a valid travel document is considered to be an unlawful arrival and is held in mandatory immigration detention (more...) Genuine refugees - for whom it may have been it is impossible to obtain the necessary travel documents - are being held in this detention until their claim for refugee status is assessed. This time can be very traumatic for those people who have a legitimate fear of persecution. There have been allegations of ‘abuse, ill-treatment and mismanagement, as well as hunger strikes, suicide attempts and breakouts’ in the Australian detainment system*
Perhaps the development of ‘Welcome Towns’ may be a ‘reasonable and safe solution to the treatment of asylum seekers who arrive on our shores,’* ensuring that real refugees can be supported and protected for the duration of application processing.
The Gippsland Portal wants to know what you think of stationing refugees in Gippsland. Click here to visit the Discussion Forum.
* Eve Stagoll, Writer for Amnesty International Australia, Feb-Mar 2001 http://www.amnesty.org.au/airesources/index-37.html
** Chris Sidoti, Former Human Rights Commissioner, July 2000 http://www.ncca.org.au/rdp/articles/refugee-sunday-2001-info-part3.asp
*** Dr William Jonas, Acting Race Discrimination Commissioner, 2001 http://www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination/face_facts/sect2.html
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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Wellington Shire Council will advocate for a Gippsland Police Academy at West Sale Airport, citing existing infrastructure, the former TAFE campus, expansion capacity and potential regional jobs, investment and training opportunities. - Latrobe City Positive Ageing Festival returns with more than 100 events celebrating connection, activity and older residents this October
Latrobe City’s Positive Ageing Festival returns in October with more than 100 free and low-cost events supporting older residents through connection, activity, learning and community participation. - Dental experts warn Labor plan could worsen lengthy public dental waits for vulnerable Gippslanders across regional Victoria
Dental experts warn Labor's proposed public dental expansion could worsen Gippsland wait times, with vulnerable residents already facing waits exceeding two years in some areas. - Nicholson Street Mall safety works begin as council plans longer-term redevelopment and community consultation for future improvements
Works at Nicholson Street Mall will improve safety and amenity, including relocating the taxi rank and removing outdated infrastructure, while Council develops longer-term redevelopment plans and community consultation. - Traralgon Tyers interconnect begins, strengthening water supply reliability and resilience across four Gippsland towns for future regional growth
Gippsland Water has begun construction on a 4.5-kilometre pipeline linking four towns to Traralgon’s water network, improving reliability, resilience, efficiency and capacity for future regional growth. - Martin Cameron renews call for PSOs at Morwell and Moe Stations, citing rising Gippsland public transport crime figures
Morwell MP Martin Cameron has renewed calls for PSOs at Morwell and Moe stations, citing a 49 percent increase in Gippsland public transport crime between 2021 and 2024. - Become a Great Southern rail trail passport collection point with other updates from the South Gippsland Shire Council
South Gippsland Council seeks Rail Trail Passport collection points, announces a youth bravery award, Toora roadworks, grants, community events, transport updates, tenders, services and opportunities.
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