A Charles Sturt University (CSU) justice studies researcher believes the chaos unravelling around asylum seekers sent to Nauru was and is preventable.

 

“The Australian Government has created the conditions for these tragedies to occur and need to rethink its policy on asylum and refugee determination. Simply moving people into the community with few supports, however, is also not the solution,” says Dr Alison Gerard, a researcher and senior lecturer in justice studies at CSU.

 

On Wednesday 21 November, the federal government announced the re-introduction of bridging visas for asylum seekers into the Australian community.

 

“International evidence shows that moving asylum seekers out of detention and into the community without adequate access to rights and entitlements merely fosters destitution. It is an underlying cause of sharply deteriorating health among asylum seekers. It creates a supply of illegal labourers and exposes asylum seekers to exploitation and harm in workplaces.

 

“It also ‘outsources’ basic government services to charities and creates a tiered system of welfare, undermining the legitimacy of the international right to asylum.”

 

Dr Gerard gives examples from the United Kingdom, where asylum seekers receive a portion of the entitlements of other welfare recipients.

 

“This has led to poor housing, limited access to health care, isolation and stress,” she said.

 

“Malta’s version of community detention has meant asylum seekers are clustered in remote areas of the island, far from amenities and services. These policies segregate asylum seekers, who are already misrepresented as criminals from distinct racial groups. This framework fails to foster any other perception, with low levels of interaction between host and asylum seeker populations.

 

“For women asylum seekers, who may be more likely to have caring responsibilities, poor access to entitlements is likely to be widely felt. Allowances may have to stretch further, and the special needs of pregnant or lactating women may be compromised.”

 

Dr Gerard believes Australia needs to rethink its visa regime that makes coming to Australia by plane impossible for many asylum seekers.

 

“We need to be more active in the Asia Pacific region to secure protection for asylum seekers and would show demonstrable leadership by continuing to increase our resettlement quota.