Open Letter to PM Morrison & Reply

  The Department of Home Affairs response to our open letter, signed by 1520 people, paints, as usual, a rosy picture of a government which is committed to upholding its international obligations and to caring appropriately for refugees.  The reality, of course, is very different. As always, the government seeks to distance itself from any responsibility for the refugees and asylum seekers languishing in PNG and on Nauru, in spite of the fact that it funds the whole terrible process and has oversight of everything that happens. Utterly shameful, but completely unsurprising.   

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Dear Prime Minister,
9^th September 2019

Please find enclosed an open letter, addressed to yourself, and signed by 1520 Australian citizens. Their signatures were collected in recent times at local markets and other venues around Australia by members of Rural Australians for Refugees. The letter reads:

“Almost every day we read about the ongoing suffering of the asylum seekers and refugees who continue to languish indefinitely on Manus and Nauru. We are dismayed and deeply saddened by reports of self-harm and attempted suicides by people whose spirits have been crushed by years of detention, and who can see no hope for the future. This cannot continue.

We therefore ask that you urgently enter into discussions with the New Zealand government, with a view to accepting their generous offer to resettle 150 refugees annually from Manus and Nauru. It is important to us that you demonstrate by your actions that you are prepared to treat these people with compassion and humanity.”

We lost count a long time ago of the number of visitors to our local market stalls who tell us that they feel deeply ashamed to be Australian, as they observe the gratuitous and ongoing suffering inflicted on the detainees on Nauru and in PNG. It is surely time to put this shameful chapter in our history behind us. The New Zealand government’s generous and compassionate gesture offers a positive way forward. We therefore urge you to accept this offer to resettle the refugees and to expedite the closure of all offshore detention facilities without delay.

                                                                                                                                                                        Yours sincerely,

Mike ..............

                                                                                                                                                                         Bellingen and Nambucca District RAR                           

                                                            

The Reply

Dear Mr Griffin 

Thank you for your correspondence of 9 September 2019 to the
Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, enclosing a signed open letter concerning the Australian Government’s regional processing and resettlement arrangements. Your correspondence has been referred to the Minister for Home Affairs, the
Hon Peter Dutton MP, as the matter raised falls within his portfolio responsibilities.

The Minister appreciates the time you have taken to bring these matters to his attention and has asked that I reply on his behalf.
As a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol (the Refugee Convention), Australia takes its international obligations seriously. Australia is committed to providing protection to refugees consistent with the obligations set out in the Refugee Convention and other relevant international treaties to which Australia is a party. 

The Government works closely with the Governments of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru to ensure transferees continue to be provided with a range of health, welfare and support services, including extensive physical and mental healthcare provisions, free accommodation and utilities, allowances and employment services. Where specialist medical treatment is not available in PNG or Nauru, mechanisms are in place for temporary transfers to a third country for treatment, including Australia. 

People under regional processing arrangements are treated with respect and dignity and in accordance with international human rights standards. Their protection claims are assessed by the Governments of PNG and Nauru and are undertaken in accordance with each countries respective laws and processes. 

Under regional processing arrangements, refugees have permanent resettlement options and are being resettled. People found to be refugees by the Government of PNG can settle in PNG, express an interest in US resettlement, seek assisted voluntary return or move to a country they have the right to reside in. 

People found to be refugees by the Government of Nauru can stay in Nauru for 20 years, express an interest in US resettlement, apply for an assisted voluntary return package or move to a country they have the right to reside in.

Australia appreciates the offer from the New Zealand Government to resettle refugees, however we are focused on completing the larger arrangement with the United States (US). Australia’s border protection policies have removed the incentive for people to join dangerous and illegal people smuggling ventures to Australia. The Government remains mindful of not undoing efforts to combat people smuggling. 

A total of 4,183 illegal maritime arrivals were transferred to offshore processing under the previous government. Today, there are no refugees in detention under offshore processing and as at 30 September 2019, 632 refugees have been resettled under the Government’s resettlement arrangement with the US. 

Regional processing is a key pillar of Operation Sovereign Borders and supports the Government’s strong border protection policies. These policies have successfully stemmed the flow of illegal maritime ventures to Australia, disrupted people smuggling activities in the region and prevented loss of life at sea. 

The success of Australia’s border protection policies has also enabled the Government to make a generous contribution to addressing the global humanitarian crisis and increase our Humanitarian Programme annual quota to 18,750 places, this represents the largest ongoing program in over 30 years. 

Thank you for bringing your concerns to the Government’s attention. Yours sincerely 

Director
Regional Processing and Resettlement 4 October 2019

4 National Circuit Barton ACT 2600
PO Box 25 Belconnen ACT 2616 • Telephone: 02 6264 1111 • www.homeaffairs.gov.au