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RCOA Annual Report 2010-2011 Size refugee council of australia annual report 2010/11 www.refugeecouncil.org.au Front cover: Ayan, 16, is one of more than 60,000 people who have fled war- Acknowledgements torn south-central Somalia for Galkayo, in Somalia's Puntland region. Her goal is The Refugee Council of Australia would like to acknowledge the generous to teach the sewing skills that she has support of the following organisations and individuals for the work of the learned to other displaced girls from Council during 2010-11: poor families so they can provide for Funding support: In-kind support: their families. © UNHCR / R.Gangale • AMES Victoria • Majak Daw • Amnesty International Australia • Friends of STARTTS • Australian Cultural Orientation • Yalda Hakim Program, IOM • Carina Hoang • Australian Refugee Foundation • Host 1 Pty Ltd • City of Sydney • Gracia Ngoy • Department of Immigration and • Pitt Street Uniting Church Citizenship • Nicholas Poynder • Leichhardt Council • Timothy Seeto • McKinnon Family Foundation • Shaun Tan • Navitas • UNHCR Regional Office, Canberra • NSW AMES • University of NSW • NSW Community Relations Commission • Najeeba Wazefadost Sections • SBS • Webcity • Victorian Multicultural Commission President’s report 1 RCOA’s objectives 2 and priorities RCOA’s people 4 Refugee settlement policy 5 Asylum policy 8 International links 11 Information and 14 community education Our organisation 15 RCOA members 16 Financial report 20 President’s Report he 2010-11 financial year proved to be one of the most In the public discussion of refugee policy, in our submissions challenging and difficult for national refugee policy, in the and statements and in our private discussions with the T30-year history of the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA). Government and with Parliamentarians, we maintained our The year began in July with the formal commencement of the focus on three key points our membership wanted to see 2010 Federal election campaign, in which asylum seeker policy reflected in government policy: was debated in an extraordinarily destructive and divisive way. • An end to the indefinite nature of mandatory detention, with This, unfortunately, set the tone for the political and public any period of detention for asylum seekers who arrive debate for the entire year, as the leaders of the two main without a visa limited to identifying risks associated with political parties battled to outdo each other with the harshness identity, health and security. of their rhetoric about asylum seekers arriving by boat. • A serious focus on building regional cooperation in Asia- The shrill national debate was in contrast with the international Pacific on refugee protection, not on Australia shifting its realities of asylum. In June 2011, UNHCR released its annual responsibilities for asylum seekers to neighbouring states. statistics for 2010, which showed that Australia received just • An end by the major political parties to the destructive 1.0 per cent of the 1.06 million requests for asylum globally debate about asylum seekers, which was continuing to during the year. RCOA’s analysis of UNHCR statistics since 1990 undermine public confidence in Australia’s refugee and showed that, while the 10,955 asylum claims received in humanitarian program. Australia in 2010 was higher than previous years, it was only the fifth highest annual total for Australia over the previous In our annual submission to the Australian Government on the two decades. 2011-12 refugee and humanitarian program, we looked at issues for refugees in the Asia-Pacific region and outlined a series of The low point of the year was the shocking shipwreck on the strategies for regional cooperation on refugee protection. The coast of Christmas Island on December 15, in which at least 30 issues which prompt asylum seekers to move on to Australia by asylum seekers lost their lives. This tragedy highlighted the boat, we emphasised, are complex regional and international difficult choices facing many asylum seekers and refugees in issues and cannot be solved by simplistic unilateral moves by the Asia-Pacific region and the pressing need for nations in the Australia which focus purely on national political objectives. The region to work together collectively to provide better protection submission was based on views gathered through a national for people fleeing persecution. consultation process, which received strong support from RCOA The year included some steps forward on refugee policy and member organisations in all states and territories. many steps backward. Steps forward included the end of the six- During 2010-11, RCOA completed another nine public month suspension of Afghan asylum claims, a considerable submissions to the Federal Government, in which we put our expansion of community detention arrangements for children members’ views regarding detention policy, settlement policy, and their families, the passage through the House of human rights issues and the need for an Asia-Pacific regional Representatives of legislation on complementary protection and refugee protection framework. We also gave direct feedback to very positive dialogue about regional refugee protection needs the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) to its through the Bali Process. On the negative side, we saw the many requests for feedback on the Settlement Grants Program, damaging aspects of long-term indefinite detention for Complex Case Support and Departmental policies relating to thousands of asylum seekers, the establishment of new children. Through presentations, letters, participation in formal detention centres in four states and territories and the Australian meetings and private discussions, we provided input to a Government’s decision to push ahead with a bilateral agreement variety of Federal and State agencies about aspects of public with Malaysia to swap asylum seekers for resettled refugees. policy which impact on refugees and asylum seekers. Throughout the year, RCOA was very active in taking issues, In November, RCOA’s Annual General Meeting was held in ideas and concerns to senior Australian Government decision- Queensland for the first time. While in Brisbane, RCOA also makers, through dozens of meetings with Parliamentarians and listened to members at a number of public forums and senior Departmental officials. As the year progressed and the consultations. Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and numbers of asylum seekers in detention for extended periods Citizenship, Senator Kate Lundy, was guest speaker at the AGM of time increased to record levels, many of the policy concerns and also attended a public forum on settlement issues. Senator raised by RCOA related to the indefinite nature of mandatory Lundy commended the work of RCOA and its members as detention and its impacts on those detained. By 20 May 2011 providing “a social dividend from which all Australians benefit”. (the last date for which detention statistics were released in 2010-11), the number of asylum seekers in detention had A highlight of the year was RCOA’s involvement with the grown to 6520, of whom only 564 were in community University of NSW, UNHCR and other agencies in the staging of detention. Of those in immigration detention, 68 per cent had a conference in June to mark the 60th anniversary of the been detained for more than six months. This growth in Refugee Convention. The conference drew 550 delegates from immigration detention had many effects, most particularly an across Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, bringing alarming growth in rates of self-harm and many complications together perspectives from former refugees and policy experts in the settlement process for people given permanent to reflect on many aspects of international and national protection after extended periods of detention. support for refugees and asylum seekers. 1 RCOA’s objectives & RCOA’s public profile was further enhanced with the he Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is a national, not unveiling of our new website, which provides improved for profit organisation with more than 700 organisational access to statistics, publications and our submissions to Tand individual members. Formed in November 1981, government, as well as information on Refugee Week and RCOA’s purpose is to promote the adoption of humane, lawful A Just Australia. Refugee Week was our most successful on and constructive policies towards refugees, asylum seekers and record with more than 200 events held throughout displaced persons by the Australian and other Governments Australia. RCOA is increasingly using social media, like and their communities. Facebook and Twitter to share positive stories about To achieve this purpose, the RCOA has a number of key aims: refugees in our communities and to mobilise support for events and campaigns. (a) To act as a unifying organisation and to represent its members. The public financial support of RCOA’s work in 2010-11 was higher than for any other year in the organisation’s (b) To promote the empowerment of refugee communities and history. Our membership grew from its previous historic individuals in Australia and internationally and support the high in 2009-10 by 15 per cent to 717 – 150 organisations, capacity building of Australia’s refugee sector. 563 individual members and four honorary life members. (c) To monitor, research and present information on issues Public donations grew by 14 per cent to $98,877, a level relating to the needs and circumstances of refugees and which is more than double
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