Act For Peace are calling for people to sign their petition to end mandatory detention. Click on the link below to add your voice.
Petition to end mandatory detention
World Wide Statistics (UNHCR, 2008):
• There are an estimated 15.2 million refugees, 26 million IDPs and 827,000 asylum seekers waiting to be processed, worldwide. 6.6 million people are considered stateless; that is, they have no country that recognises them as citizens. The UN refers to these people as ‘people of concern’.
• Only 10.5 million refugees and 4.4 million IDPs received assistance and protection from UNHCR. This leaves 16.2 million refugees and IDPs with no access to assistance or protection from the UN.
• Developing countries, who have the least money available, host 80% of the world’s refugees. This is equivalent to 12.2 million refugees.
• Most of the world’s refugees currently come from Afghanistan and Iraq as a result of the conflict and violence.
• At least half of the world’s ‘people of concern’ are women and girls; 44% of these people are under the age of 18 yrs. Australian Statistics (Refugee Council, 2009):
• Over the last 65 years, Australia has resettled over 700,000 refugees.
• Of all the people arriving in Australian waters by boat, over 90% of them have been recognised as genuine refugees.
• In 2008, Australia resettled 13,500 refugees (0.09% of the world’s refugees).
• Australia is a signatory of the UN Refugee Convention and therefore has the responsibility to offer protection and services to refugees through its Humanitarian Program.
• In countries that are not signatories to the convention – such as India and Indonesia – there is the potential for denying the recognition of refugee status and thus refugees’ rights, leaving them more exposed to human rights abuses.
• Australia has a policy of mandatory detention for all asylum seekers entering Australia without documentation. If refugees have had to flee their country due to persecution, it is often impossible for them to get the necessary documents.