By Samuel Miller
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America and Oceania
CANBERRA, Australia — Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told Parliament the government will announce its response to the Syrian refugee crisis by the end of the day. On Sunday Prime Minister Abbott said the government would consider increasing the number of Syrians and Iraqis it would take as part of the humanitarian resettlement quota, but ruled out an overall increase in numbers.
Prime Minister Abbott has said more Syrian asylum seekers would be let into the country, but has stopped short of boosting overall refugee numbers. The increase would not mean Australia’s overall yearly intake of refugees would go up.
“Our focus will be on families and women and children, especially of persecuted minorities, who have sought refuge in camps neighboring Syria and Iraq,” the Prime Minister said.
Currently, Australia has set a quota for accepting refugees from around the world, which stands at 13,750 people. Last financial year, Australia settled more than 4,400 people from Syria and Iraq, Prime Minister Abbott said. The overall refugee intake will increase to 18,750 by 2018.
However, some within the Australian government are urging the Prime Minister and Australia to do more.
On Monday, Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg called for temporary housing of Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers. Mr. Frydenberg said there was a good case for a Kosovo-type solution that would see Syrian and Iraqi refugees housed in Australia, then returned home once the countries were safe.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia was mostly looking at the plight of those minorities who wanted to flee Syria permanently. However, echoing Mr. Frydenberg, Ms. Bishop said there were a number of people currently fleeing Syria that would want to return home once the conflict was over.
“When the conflict is over people will want to return to Syria and Iraq. But there are some persecuted ethnic and religious minorities who will not want to go home so they are the ones we are focusing on as other countries are as well,” she said.
Ms. Bishop also said the government was still considering its options, including agreeing to an emergency Syrian intake as suggested by Labor yesterday.
“On a per capita basis we take in more refugees than any other country throughout the world,” she said. “When we see the photos, yes our hearts go out to these people, but let’s step back and ask where is the money coming from?”
Prime Minister Abbott has been urged to increase Australia’s refugee intake after photos of a drowned Syrian toddler on a Turkish beach shocked the world and put a human face to the dangers refugees risk trying to reach safety.
For more information, please see:
BBC News — Australia under pressure to boost total refugee intake – 7 September 2015
