Sam Dastyari & Pauline Hanson on Sky News (29/10/2018)

Описание: See Also:

"Asylum seekers and refugees: Myths, Facts & Solutions" By the Australian Seeker Resource Centre (Page 5)

MYTH #2: 'Boat people are not genuine refugees'
There is no such thing as a ‘genuine’ or ‘non-genuine’ refugee. Either you are a refugee with the legal right of protection or you are not a refugee at all. In any case, the allegation that boat arrivals are not genuine in their appeals for protection from persecution is untrue. In any one year since the late 1990s, between 70 and 97 per cent of asylum seekers arriving by boat have been found to be refugees and granted protection. The average in recent years is closer to 90 per cent.

The most recent immigration data shows that 93.4% of asylum seekers who arrived by boat in the 2011-12 financial year and have been processed were granted refugee status (see figure 1). Figures from 2010-11 show similarly high rates (figure 2). These results have been produced within Australia’s strict processing regime.

From time to time, the media quotes high rejection rates of boat arrivals at the primary stage to give the impression that asylum seekers are not ‘genuine’. In 2011, there was much media attention around the fact that 50% of Afghan asylum seekers had been rejected by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

There are many reasons why higher than usual rejection rates appear from time to time at the primary stage, largely resulting from the fact that DIAC is not an independent body (see myth
3). In any case, the focus on the primary rejection rate is misleading.

The refugee status determination process includes not just a primary assessment with DIAC but also a secondary review process with a relatively more independent tribunal, followed by the possibility for appeal to the Federal Court and also the Minister of Immigration. As mentioned above, history indicates that at the end of the refugee status determination process, including appeals, the vast majority of boat arrivals are found to be in need of protection.

The most recent statistics from DIAC reinforce this fact. In financial year 2011-2012, 82 per cent of failed protection visa applicants at the primary stage were overturned upon independent review (figure 3).These figures do not include further appeals to the Federal Court or the Minister of Immigration which could result in even higher final overturn rates. High rejection rates at the primary level are not unusual.

Given the lack of integrity in the refugee status determination process (see myth 3), the biggest concern is not that some asylum seekers might slip through the system illegitimately but the risk that those who are genuine in their claims could be denied protection. In the past Australia has deported asylum seekers back to dangerous situations where they have subsequently been killed – including children.

Australia has screened many Tamils out of the refugee determination process and returned them to Sri Lanka, despite evidence that they continue to face persecution at the hands of the government.

Source: https://www.asrc.org.au/wp-content/up...