Refugee Urgency Motion - Victorian ALP State Conference 2002

As a matter of urgency this meeting support a re-definition of the ALP Refugee policy in keeping with ALP National Policy that was approved in 2000. Such a revised policy must reassert both the letter and the spirit of Australia's commitments under the Refugee Convention and Protocol.

This conference welcomes the adoption by the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party of a policy development framework to guide the policy re-definition within the ALP on finding a comprehensive, long-term and compassionate solution regarding refugees and asylum seekers.

Global Context

Conference recognises that the world is facing a humanitarian crisis with approximately 22 million people displaced. Conference recognises that people are fleeing for a variety of reasons including famine, natural disaster, endemic poverty, violence and persecution.

Conference recognises that ensuring there is adequate support to the millions of displaced persons is a major challenge for the international community and that such persons need support whether or not they are a refugee as that term is defined under the 1951 Convention. Conference also notes that for those who are defined as refugees under the 1951 Convention, only a very limited number will be resettled.

Conference believes that Australia should play a substantial role in meeting the international challenge facing all countries, particularly first world countries, in ensuring generous levels of acceptance of refugees for resettlement.

Conference recognises that even if first world countries met the challenge of providing more resettlement places for refugees, resettlement will not be an option for the vast majority of displaced person.

Therefore, Conference believes it is vitally important for progressive political parties around the world, including the ALP, to address this huge human tragedy through aid and assistance measures which enable people to be repatriated to their home countries or to receive appropriate care and protection in countries of first asylum.

Conference welcomes the fact that the policy development framework calls for policy development in these areas and urges party members and affiliated unions to participate in this very important debate. Conference calls on the FPLP to continue to raise debate on the importance of Australia fulfilling its role as a global citizen.

Special Policy Announcements

This Conference expresses its support for the following policy announcements already made by Simon Crean as Labor Leader:

ï That children should be released from behind the razor wire of detention centres.
ï That the public sector should be put back in control of the detention centres, with Australian Protective Service replacing ACM. Conference supports appropriate arrangements being made for the staff involved in consultation with the relevant unions.
ï That Woomera should be closed.
ï That media access to detention centres should be permitted, with appropriate protocols.
ï That asylum seekers from Afghanistan who have failed the test of being a genuine refugee but who still require care and protection while the nation of Afghanistan stabilises and rebuilds should be the subject of a proper time limited safe haven arrangement.
ï That the so-called Pacific Solution is a costly failure and completely unsustainable.

Howard Government

This Conference rejects the Howard Government's vilification of asylum seekers and condemns it for making the completely untrue claim that asylum seekers threw their children overboard.

This Conference also condemns the Howard Government for seeking to excuse its vicious cutbacks to the PBS and disability support pension on the grounds that the money is required for border security. Conference particularly notes with concern the large sums of money in the Budget devoted to the construction of a detention facility at Christmas Island and the large sums of money budgeted for offshore processing.

Conclusion

Noting this context, Conference expresses its view that Labor must work to achieve a system with following features:

1. That treats all asylum seekers with dignity and respect and as entitled to a fair hearing.
2. That includes fast and fair processing of claims by competent decision makers who are fully trained in all relevant areas including human rights law and in which there is a right to judicial review.
3. That replaces the completely discredited current concept of mandatory detention with an initial custodial appraisal for identification, health and security checks followed by accommodation in community settings.
4. To repeal the current temporary protection visa which requires continual reprocessing, denies family reunion, leaves individuals open to industrial exploitation and places an undue burden on community support and to ensure that there are appropriate visa classes to meet refugee protection and humanitarian needs.
5. That does not include onshore asylum applications in the calculation of offshore numbers accepted.
6. That Conference notes the relevant resolutions from the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Policy Committee (Book 2B, p.3) and the Immigration and Ethnic Affairs Policy Committee Report Addendum (Book 3, p. and that the resolutions be sent to the National Secretary and the ALP Policy Review being administered by Jenny Macklin.

The amended motion was put and CARRIED