Please read the attached stimulus reading.
- Write a response to the stimulus reading, arguing for or against the points made. (275 words).
- Ensure that you make reference to any relevant news articles or academic publications to strengthen
your argument. - All sources must be referenced correctly.
Australia should not have an open door policy in Australia with regard to the reception of
Refugees fleeing war torn regions or political turmoil in their countries (Australian Government,
2015). This is because it puts at risk the country’s security and also the welfare of its citizens.
The Australian government owes a duty of care to it citizens first of all and then everybody else
should come second. Taking in refugees’ costs a lot of money and the process is prone to abuse
if it happens to be completely open.
I think the off-shore processing regime is effective in that it helps to resettle the refugees while
concurrently averting a larger problem of tension between citizens of the country and a swelling
number of refugees who would begin putting pressure on current resources. By processing them
off-shore Australia also manages to help them resettle away from the danger that lies in their
home country while giving them some degree of independence (Australian Human Rights
Commission, 2014).
Assylum seekers should be offered temporary protection for a set period of time that is
determined by the severity of the danger involved. During this period of protection a more
permanent solution needs to be worked out with input from the asylum seekers concerned
regarding how they can regain their independence (Phillips, 2014).
The Liberal party approach fits better under the ‘status quo’ category since it seeks to maintain a
distinction between the refugees and the current residents of Australia. The ‘turning back the
boats’ initiative is well aligned with this concept. The idea of the greens to have Australia take in
much more refugees is closer to changing the situation since it will be much easier for asylum
seekers to get into Australia as refugees without facing any major legal hurdles (Liberal Party,
2014; The Greens, 2015).
References
Australian Government, Department of Immigration and Border Protection. (2015). Offshore
Refugee and Humanitarian visas.
