CAMPAIGN EXPLOITING FEAR PART OF THE REFUGEE DEBATE TODAY

Fears about lack of control caused by globalisation makes it very important to sections of the Australian public that we control things like border policy. This is one of the main reasons why the Australian community embraced the Federal Government's policy on asylum seekers according to a study conducted by the Catholic Commission for Justice.

According to Executive Officer of the Catholic Commission for Justice, Marc Purcell, focus groups interviewed during the election testing community attitudes towards asylum seekers, demonstrated that there's a deep-seated anxiety and fear present in sections of the Australian public where people feel that many aspects of their life are out of control.

According to Marc Purcell, "Asylum seekers are seen to be circumventing those controls. This is why the government's pitch to control the whole situation by military means using an emotional approach versus a rational one has had such a wide-spread community appeal."

Marc Purcell will be speaking at the Refugee Convention -where to from here? Today -this Saturday 8th December, in a panel exploring community aspects of the refugee problem.

"No matter how many facts a about refugees are presented, it will do little to change people's attitudes because they are based on fear," Mr Purcell said. "This is why the government's spin has been very successful because it doesn't seek to explain, it seeks to fill these fears."

Other speakers at the conference today include ex-Philippines Beauty Queen who travelled the world with President Marcos, then was imprisoned for two years when she became a student activist, and is currently on the Asian Women Hum an Rights Council and is internationally known for her work with the Philippine and Korean "Comfort Women," Nelia Sancho.

Pascale Allotey also spoke about her research into the inequality in refugee intake -revealing that when account is taken of economic capacity, the poorest countries bear the greatest burden. "The distribution of refugees is in stark contrast to the humanitarian rhetoric of the industrialised countries," she said.

"Under the current mechanisms that favour refugees going to proximate countries, wealthy countries can be directly involved in the creation of a refugee crisis in poor and far-removed countries, without any risk of having to be responsible for the support of those refugees. This is the case in Afghanistan, where the United States and Great Britain (and Australia) are involved in military action, without any risk of the large numbers of refugees arriving within their borders."

Sunday's speakers at the conference include Dr Louise Newman, Chair of the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Royal Australian & NZ College of Psychiatrists who opposes the routine detention of children of refugee families. "There is a body of research and clinical evidence pointing to the detrimental effects of exposure to trauma on child development and mental health. On the basis of this clinical evidence, it is clear that refugee children should be kept with their families and receive appropriate specialist mental health intervention and support," Dr Newman said.

 

What: International Refugee Convention - Where to from here?

When: 6 - 9 December 2001

Where UNSW Mathews Theatre A, Gate 9, High Street, Randwick

 

Sunday program:

10.00am Eileen Pittaway, Director, UNSW Centre for Refugee Research will facilitate conference outcomes that will be pulled together into a document to be presented at the United Nations Geneva conference on refugees next week. (Phillip Ruddock will also be presenting the Federal Government's view at this conference.)

11.30 Julia Gillard, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs will comment

12.00pm Chris Sidoti, The Human Rights Council of Australia will speak on a Human Rights Approach to Refugee Issues

12.30 John Pace, The Australian Human Rights Centre, UNSW will speak on Monitoring Mechanisms

2.30 Dr William Maley, UNSW Australian Defence Force Academy and expert on Afghanistan will speak on terrorism and New Threats

 

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