Chairman of Afghan Australian Association of Victoria Abdul Khaliq Fazal believes a recent report into Australia’s asylum seeker policy is good but not good enough.
By NICOLE WILLIAMS
THE leader of Victoria’s Afghan community believes a recent report into Australia’s asylum seeker policy is good but not good enough.
The Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers, released on Monday, included 22 key recommendations on policy options to prevent asylum seekers risking their lives coming to Australia by boat.
The key recommendations from the report included offshore processing in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, pursuing further talks on the Malaysia solution, increasing co-operation with Indonesia and increasing Australia’s refugee intake over five years.
Chairman of Afghan Australian Association of Victoria Abdul Khaliq Fazal said the report had good points, but communication would be key.
Mr Fazal believes the report doesn’t consider how to communicate the changes effectively to countries from where refugees are fleeing.
“In Australia, we read the newspaper and see the news. We are informed, but those people who don’t speak the language or have access to media just don’t know.”
Mr Fazal said the changes would be pointless if not publicised effectively in countries like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“The smugglers will still be recruiting them and taking money from them and then they will be dumped in Indonesia or Malaysia and will become a burden,” he said.
“It is not going to make any difference. In fact it will be a good chance for the smugglers to mislead the people who intend who come to Australia – they will give various reports of their own to convince people to part with their money.”
The report recommends the humanitarian program be immediately increased to 20,000 places and 27,000 places within five years.
Mr Fazal said there was no reason to wait for the increase.
“I would recommend to make it 27,000 instead of going to 20,000 and then up again.
“Going straight to 27,000 will give more encouragement to people who are hoping to come in and they would be deferred from taking boats into Australia.”
Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston of the independent panel said Australian police settings and arrangements needed to change.
“We recommend a policy approach that is hard-headed by not hard-hearted. That it realistic not idealistic. That is driven by a sense of humanity as well as fairness.”
The Federal Government has accepted all 22 key recommendations made in the report.
