Asylum Seekers
by Can you answer the question “What is an asylum seeker?” with a good straight forward answer? Or re you just looking ‘em up for your studies? Either way, this post will help.
What is an Asylum seeker? An asylum seeker is someone who has fled his or her country and applies to the government of another country for protection as a refugee.
Australia, being one of the countries of many in the Refugee Convention, has agreed to ensure that refugees are not sent back to their home country where their freedom, or worse, life, could be threatened.
When they arrive, Asylum seekers without a visa, a passport, are detained in immigration detention. While in detention, they have a variety of needs such as counseling for torture and trauma, interpreting and translation, medical care, education and a few others as well.
But not all Asylum seekers are what they seem. For example, people who go to other countries, usually Indonesia, then pay small amounts of money to be smuggled, with poor care, and a slight amount of food, on a boat, are called boat people. This is illegal and people do it usually because they don’t have enough money for a plane, do not or cannot acquire a valid visa or other personal reasons.
Some Asylum seekers are not just leaving their country to getaway from the hate or abuse. They are trying to get away from the law. But if someone is smuggled, the country they are smuggled to have no idea they are there.
Sometimes some refugees will not meat the Refugee Convention definition of a Refugee, but may still be abused if returning to their home country. If this happens, these people will have to apply to the Minister of Immigration to request that they exercise their personal discretion to issue a visa under a section of the 1958 Immigration Act.
And not just the Australian government is involved with Asylum Seekers.
Established in 1993, the Asylum Seekers Center of New South Wales, ASC, is an independent, not-for-profit, non-government organisation providing a welcoming environment and front-line support for community-based asylum seekers living in Sydney. Where applicable and feasible, referrals and other supports are provided remotely to community-based asylum seekers living in regional and rural areas of New South Wales.
So, thats about it. For anymore information try looking up other websites or checking out the Government’s sites. I hope this helps you out!
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