A “draft” cabinet document recently leaked to the media suggests the idea that refugees are a potential source of terrorism and radicalization will soon shape Australia’s humanitarian resettlement policy.
If implemented, refugees—not just boat arrivals—would be seen as a security issue. By offering only temporary residence and making Australia a less attractive destination, it makes deterrence the aim of the entire refugee program.
What’s Being Proposed?
Viewing all refugees through the security prism, and further restricting their rights, is a tactic to try to manage the much larger global refugee crisis. The number of refugees and internally displaced people exceeds 60 million. This is the highest since the end of the World War II.
Since the 1990s, various deterrence strategies have eroded the rights of those seeking protection onshore in Australia after having arrived by boat. These have included temporary protection visas, mandatory detention, the excision of the migration zone, the Pacific Solution, and regional processing and resettlement.
If the leaked policy document is accurate, now all refugees are to be put into the category of—at best—temporary residents.
