Asylum Seekers In Australia

1066 Words5 Pages
An asylum seeker is a person who has fled their country but is not accepted yet as refugee. Whereas, a refugee is a person who is outside his or her country of origin or habitual residence because they fear persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, because they are a member of a persecuted 'social group' or fleeing a war. Such a person may be called an 'asylum seeker' until recognized by the state where they make a claim. The decision whether a person is a refugee or not is most often left to certain government agencies within the host country. This can lead to a situation where the country will see an asylum seeker neither as refugee nor as legitimate migrant. Then they will be treated as an illegal immigrant…show more content…
Under this act, asylum seekers who arrive by boat at offshore places, such as Christmas Island and Ashmore Reef, or are intercepted at sea, without a valid visa, may be held in immigration detention until they are granted a visa or removed from Australia. It is the Commonwealth Government’s policy to hold these asylum seekers in mandatory detention. Section 198A of this act provides for the transfer of asylum seekers who have arrived in Australia (or Australian waters) by boat (known as offshore entry persons) to be transferred to another specified…show more content…
Changes to Asylum Seeker Policies and Capacity to Change During the early 1990s, asylum seekers from Cambodia began to arrive in Australia in large numbers. In response, the government of Paul Keating instituted a policy known as mandatory detention aimed at deterring refugees. Under mandatory detention, anyone who enters the Australian migration zone without a visa is placed in a holding facility while security and health checks are performed. Additionally, the validity of the person's claim to asylum is assessed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Following the Tampa Affair, the Commonwealth Migration Act (1958) was amended by Howard's government in September 2001. The amendments, which became known as the Pacific Solution, prevented refugees landing on Christmas Island
Open Document