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International Migration News - Volume #8 | |
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Australia: New Zealand, Detention
New Zealand. The largest country of origin of immigrants to Australia is New Zealand. There are about 400,000 New Zealand-born residents of Australia and another 30,000 a year move to Australia. However, one third of the New Zealand immigrants to Australia were born outside of New Zealand; they became New Zealand citizens, and then migrated to Australia. Some Australians complain that New Zealand has become a "back door" to Australia, and the Australian government has moved to restrict the right of New Zealand citizens living in Australia to obtain Australian welfare benefits. In 1999, about A$800 million ($432 million) was paid to New Zealand citizens living in Australia. In an effort to reduce the welfare costs associated with New Zealand citizens in Australia, after March 1, New Zealanders must: (1) apply for permanent residence in Australia, rather than being automatically entitled to permanent residence; and (2) meet the same standards as other immigrants if they want to obtain welfare benefits. According to immigration figures in November, more than 31,000 New Zealanders moved permanently to Australia between March 1999 to March 2000, compared to 5,200 Australians who emigrated to New Zealand. New Zealand is allowing up to 7,700 overstayers to legalize their status, but only 1,000 applied with one month left in the program. Detention. The Woomera Detention Center in South Australia is managed for immigration authorities by a private firm, Australasian Correctional Management. In December 2000, ACM's management of the detention center came under fire, with critics charging that there were a variety of abuses of detained asylum seekers. An investigation into allegations that a young boy was abused by his father in a sex-for-cigarettes trade did not find any evidence of abuse. Despite the findings, Ruddock may recommend that mothers and children be moved out of Woomera and housed in the township. There is a continuing investigation by the Australian government into allegations of violence and sexual assault in immigrant detention centers. Immigration Minister Ruddock said on December 7 that detainees at immigration detention centers, including Woomera, were making home-made weapons to threaten the staff and the staff is responding with harsh measures. Amnesty International charged that a three-year old boy was put in leg restraints and later kept in a suicide-proof cell without windows, toilet or shower for 13 days. One goal of critics of the detention center is to stop the practice of detaining asylum seekers who arrive in Australia with no or false documents. Amnesty International and the Justice for Asylum Seekers Alliance are focusing on the abuse that they allege occurs to children in detention centers. They are urging the introduction of the "Swedish model," which permits women with children to live near their husbands in detention pending a decision on their asylum application. Ruddock maintains that detention centers are appropriate facilities for processing and housing unlawful arrivals and emphasized that Australia is second only to Canada in resettling refugees on a per capita basis. Some of the more than 50 hunger-striking detainees at Woomera were involuntarily placed on intravenous feedings. Ruddock says it did not constitute forced feeding, because he did not want to be held responsible for a preventable death at the detention camp. Sanctions. The federal government has proposed sanctions of two years' in jail or fines of up to $66,000 for those employing illegal workers. Between 1999 and 2000, immigration officers caught 14,551 people overstaying their visas or working without permission. The legislation will be introduced in 2001 and sanctions will be implemented by the end of 2001. A new public information campaign would also be implemented which would include a kit to be distributed by immigration compliance officers and a pamphlet to be mailed out to over one million businesses. The government also plans to pilot a toll-free phone line for employers to make inquiries about workers' rights, visa conditions and sanctions. The measures, to be launched under the slogan 'Don't Give a Job to an Illegal Worker', would help employers understand about who is entitled to work. Legislation has been proposed by Labor and the Australia Democrats which would crackdown on schools and colleges accepting overseas students. The aim of the legislation is to protect students against the risk of colleges closing and to protect Australia against visa fraud.
Philip Ruddock, "Firm but fair
approach to asylum seekers," The Australian, December 22, 2000. | |
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