Year 10: Immigration

1. What is an asylum seeker? A person who has applied for asylum from a country that he or she is not a citizen of because they have something that is a threat to their lives from the country they came from whether it be political, military, religious or because of their nationality. They hope to gain refugee status.
2. What reasons would they leave their country and come to Australia? Their country may have a corrupt government, very poor living conditions, very aggressive and dangerous groups like militias and terrorist organisations threatening them. They want to come to Australia because we have a stable government, good living conditions and they have an oppurtunity at a good and safe life here.
3. What reasons will allow them to be approved for asylum? If their life/freedom is under threat from where they came from and if their human rights are under threat as well.
4. From what countries are most asylum seekers coming? Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Middle East, South -east Asia.

1. What is the deal between Australia and Malaysia? (What are the numbers of people being 'swapped'?) Australia and Malaysia have signed an asylum seeker swap deal. Australia will send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia in return for 4000 genuine refugees whose cases have been verified by the UN Refugee Agency.
2. What rights will they have in Malaysia which will allow them to support themselves? They will be treated with respect and dignity and have human right protected. They will have medical assistance provided and community education made available. They  will have the chance to work.
3. How does Malaysia normally treat illegal immigrants? They round them up and throw them into detention centres. Some harsh punishments associate with them is that they cane them them as well.
4. Are children being sent to Malaysia? Yes, but they will have access to education and medical assistance.
5. What is going to happen to the processing of the 500+ people currently in Australia who have arrived from the 7th of May? They will have their claims processed in Australia.
6. What do refugee advocates worry about for the 800 asylum seekers? They worry that the government can't guarantee the human rights safeguards for the asylum seekers and that the asylum seekers may come to harm. For example the asylum seekers may be caned. They also bought up the occasion when an Australian citizen with their passport was taken to a detention centre saying that if the government can;t protect one of their own citizens, how can they protect the asylum seekers?
7. What is the goal of this 'swap' program? To stop the boats that are bringing in the illegal immigrants. To decrease the number of deaths that occur when these smuggling ships crash or ans accident happens.
8. Do you think that it will work? Why/why not? I think it will work because people will still get an oppurtunity at a new life in a more stable country but they won't be coming to Australia anymore because they know they'll just be sent to Malaysia.