reply to letter to Coffs Advocate re spending on Asylum Seekers published 20 September 2017

_{From: Marlene
Sent: Friday, 15 September 2017 2:12 PM
To: 'editorial@coffscoastadvocate.com.au'
Subject: Letter to the editor.} 

_{Dear Editor,}

_{It is understandable that many of your readers like Mr Piper of Bellingen are concerned to protect their hard earned income and savings. They may therefore question government spending on refugees. In particular they are often opposed to refugees on Nauru and Manus Island being settled in Australia. Perhaps if they look at the statistics on the costs of detention they may be surprised.} 

It costs over $500, 000 per year to keep one asylum seeker in offshore detention.  By contrast it costs $40, 000 per year to resettle and support them in here in Australia. So the Australian taxpayer is paying 12 times more each year to keep refugees off  the Australian mainland and on Nauru and Manus Islands where they are detained indefinitely in appalling conditions. 

We cannot as a country ignore international human rights laws. These refugees have a right to seek asylum and we are obliged to resettle them somewhere. 

Surveys demonstrate that once refugees have settled here they contribute greatly to Australian communities. Let’s not forget that many of them are highly skilled professional people who have fled war-torn countries where their lives were in danger. 

The legitimacy of their claims to asylum is often questioned.  If they were brought to Australia they would only be allowed to stay if, at the end of a statutory assessment process, they are found to have a legitimate claim to our protection. 

If the greatest concern to Mr Piper and others is the cost of our governments present policy they should be pressing for the closure of hugely expensive offshore detention centres and supporting the resettlement of genuine refugees in Australia where they can rebuild their lives and contribute to Australian society. 

_{Marlene Griffin}  

Savage... cuts..affect...needy Bellingen Courier Sun

Bellingen Courier Sun 3 June 2015

click to enlarge image

costs of Nauru and Manus Island detention centres

The federal government has spent $2.4bn over two years maintaining offshore detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island, including the detention of 90 children on Nauru, a Senate committee has heard.

A total of $403m was spent operating the immigration detention centre on Manus Island from July 2014 to the end of April 2015, representatives from the immigration department told a Senate estimates committee on Tuesday.

A further $229m was spent on capital expenditure on Manus.

Nearly $359m was spent at the same time operating the Nauru facility, and nearly $57m on capital expenditures.

The total figure of $1.1bn in the 2014–15 financial year is down slightly from the previous financial year, when the government spent $1.3bn maintaining the two offshore facilities.

About 173 unaccompanied minors have travelled to Australia by boat since 2012, the committee heard. Most of them – 95 – were 17 years of age, but the youngest was just six. The children either embarked on the boat trip alone, or their parents perished while making the journey to Australia.

Ninety children remain on Nauru, with a further 136 kept in onshore detention centres. Seventy children live in Darwin’s Wickham Point facility.

The average time a child remains in detention is 345 days, but one child has been in detention for 1,774 days – about 4.8 years.

The majority of asylum-seeker children – nearly 1,100 – are in community detention, following the government’s promise to remove children from Christmas Island by Christmas 2014, as long as the Senate passed its omnibus asylum legacy caseload bill.

Cost of holding each asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru - $400,000 per year

The Refugee Action group has identified that it costs $400,000 per asylum seeker to be held on Manus Island and Nauru 

http://www.refugeeaction.org.au/?page_id=3447

It says

"At the same time as Abbott is imposing cuts across the board, his budget devotes $8.3 billion over four years to locking up refugees—much of it to pay for dumping asylum seekers in the camps on Manus Island and Nauru. This enormous sum could completely reverse Abbott’s cuts to Medicare, welfare payments for under 30s, education and health combined over the next four years. It is a stark example of the government’s priorities.

Cost of detention per person a year (Souce: National Commission of Audit)

Detaining a single asylum seeker on Manus or Nauru costs $400,000 per year. Detention in Australia costs $239,000 per year. By contrast, allowing asylum seekers to live in the community while their claims are processed costs just $12,000 per year, one twentieth of the cost of the offshore camps, and even less if they are allowed the right to work."

Mike Griffin has written a paper for distribution at the the markets and this is attached.

It explains what powers the Government now has to deal with incoming asylum seekers and it is apparent that it does not include existing asylum seekers. Otherwise they would just deport the people held on Nauru and Manus Island.

The main point is that the Government has stopped the boats and that holding the asylum seekers in detention is not a deterrent as the new powers mean that can send back any new asylum seekers.

So it is a hugely expensive punishment.

As we approach the anniversary of the death of Reza Benati, we can reflect how long these asylum seekers have been on Manus Island, and the cost of this cruel approach.

letter to Hartsuyker March 2014 time in detention

Valla Beach

            NSW 2448

            

Dear Mr Hartsuyker,

Latest statistics reveal that asylum seekers in Australia are spending an average of more than 9 months in detention. This is four times longer than in July 2013 and far exceeds the average in other countries.

The national commission of audit stated recently that the average annual cost of detaining an asylum seeker in Australia is $ 239,000 and more than $400,000 for an asylum seeker held offshore. Contrasting with this it costs $100,000 to support an asylum seeker in community detention and only $ 50,000 to fund an asylum seeker on a bridging visa.

Considering that Australia, as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Status of Refugees , must by law provide protection to people fleeing persecution, the present government policies are highly questionable.

Long term detention has severe detrimental effects on psychological and physical health. In relation to the detention of children there are even more serious long term effects on their mental health. Lack of access to education creates even further problems which will have long term implications.

Compared to other refugee hosting countries Australia receives a very small number of refugees. Figures for 2012 revealed that asylum applications to Australia were less than 1.5% of the claims lodged across the world. Furthermore many refugees who come to Australia are educated , professional people who, given support and opportunities can be a great asset to Australian communities. It is precisely because of their high level of education and professional standing that many of them came to the attention of authorities in their own countries and precisely this that has necessitated their application for asylum in Australia and in other countries.

The Coalition Party mantra of ‘ Turn Back The Boats” is political posturing of the worst order and brings shame on Australia in the eyes of the world. You will have seen there is a groundswell of opinion in your constituency against these policies as illustrated by recent numbers participating in protest meetings such as “ March for March’ in Coffs Harbour .

As my Federal MP I would be interested to read your own views on present government policy. I read the ‘ Coalition Party Line’ every day in the press but to date I have no idea what your own views are and it would be helpful to understand your own position on these vital issues.

Yours sincerely,

Marlene