UNHCR STATISTICS REVEAL EMPTINESS OF POLITICAL SPIN ABOUT REFUGEES

Transcription

1 23 June 2010 UNHCR STATISTICS REVEAL EMPTINESS OF POLITICAL SPIN ABOUT REFUGEES Statistics released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) highlight that political scaremongering about asylum seekers entering Australia has little to do with the facts, the Refugee Council of Australia says. An analysis of UNHCR s 2009 Global Trends reveals that just 0.5% of the 1.18 million new asylum applications in 2009 were lodged in Australia. South Africa received 222,324 people seeking asylum in 2009, with other leading countries for asylum applications being Republic of Congo (95,945), Kenya (87,879), Ethiopia (45,763), France (42,118), Malaysia (40,063), Uganda (36,878), Ecuador (35,514), Yemen (34,471) and Canada (33,970). Australia was ranked 33 rd for total asylum applications with 6206 new applications in st on a per capita basis and 71 st relative to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). During 2009, 631,905 asylum seekers were recognised as refugees, with just 3441 (or 0.5%) in Australia. The leading countries for refugee recognition were Republic of Congo (94,126), Kenya (76,133), Ethiopia (42,693), Malaysia (35,524), Yemen (33,541), Chad (33,366), Syria (30,696), Uganda (29,558), Sudan (26,496) and Ecuador (26,342). The UNHCR report highlights that most of the world s refugees are being protected in countries much poorer than Australia. Of the 10.4 million refugees under UNHCR s mandate, the largest numbers were being hosted by Pakistan (1,740,711), Iran (1,070,488), Syria (1,054,466), Germany (593,799), Jordan (450,756), Kenya (358,928), Chad (338,495) and China (300,989). By contrast, Australia was ranked 47 th, hosting 22,548 refugees (0.2% of the global total). Australia was 68 th on a per capita basis and 91 st relative to national wealth. Australia continued to perform creditably in refugee resettlement, with the 11,080 refugees resettled from other nations making up 9.9% of the global total of 112,442. The United States alone received 71% of all refugees resettled in 2009 (79,937). Refugee Council CEO Paul Power said the UNHCR statistics emphasised the myopic and selfserving nature of much of the political debate about asylum seekers in Australia. It s disappointing that Australians natural scepticism of political spin is not being applied to politicians who are trying to create fear and misunderstanding about the numbers of people seeking asylum in this country, Mr Power said. Australians must look beyond the hype and scaremongering and understand that just 3441 asylum seekers were given refugee in Australia last year, roughly 1% of total migration to Australia during the year. Every one of those refugees underwent a detailed assessment of their need for protection from persecution, as well as rigorous health and security checks. Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Australia Phone: (02) Fax: (02) info@refugeecouncil.org.au Web: Incorporated in ACT ABN The Refugee Council of Australia represents non-government organisations and individuals working with and for refugees in Australia and around the world

2 UNHCR s report reveals that, at the end of 2009, there were 43.3 million people forcibly displaced by persecution and conflict. Of these, 15.2 million were classified as refugees; 10.4 million were refugees under UNHCR s mandate and 4.8 million were Palestinian refugees under the care of the UN Relief and Works Agency. Another 26 million people were displaced within the boundaries of their own country, while nearly one million people were seeking asylum. Mr Power said that the UNHCR report highlighted the need for more effective international action to address the needs of refugees in seriously protracted situations. Last year, just 251,000 of the world s 15.2 million refugees had the opportunity to go home and just 112,000 were resettled. Unfortunately, refugee resettlement is all too rare around the world, despite the popular myth in Australia that resettlement is the only proper way for refugees to be admitted to a country such as Australia, Mr Power said. If this mythical global queue for resettlement did actually exist for all of the world s refugees, people joining the back of the queue today would at current rates of resettlement have to wait 135 years for a positive outcome. UNHCR estimates that 5.5 million refugees are in what it describes as protracted refugee situations, where the period of displacement, often in camps with no freedom of movement, averages close to 20 years. The constant political argument about asylum seekers entering Australia, people who haven t been able to find genuine protection elsewhere, is, in the long run, going to undermine international refugee protection efforts. Why should Thailand, with 3.6 million refugees, asylum seekers and stateless people within its borders, treat displaced people properly when Australia, with all its wealth and resources and its annual immigration program of well over 200,000 people a year, cannot graciously accept its role in providing permanent protection to around 3000 or 4000 asylum seekers per year? Australians should be asking their political representatives to outline productive responses to the needs of displaced people within the Asia-Pacific region. We need to hear far more from both Government and Opposition about their plans to support development and peace-building programs in countries from which refugees are fleeing, to work with UNHCR and countries of asylum within Asia to improve conditions for asylum seekers and refugees and to support the development of improved refugee determination processes and to outline how Australia can contribute to the expansion of refugee resettlement options statistics at a glance 43.3 million people displaced, as at 31 December 2009 Refugees 15.2 million (10.4 million under UNHCR mandate, 4.8 million Palestinians under UNRWA mandate) Asylum seekers 983,420 Internally displaced persons 27.1 million Global total Australian total Australia s share Refugees under UNHCR mandate 10,396,540 22, % Asylum applications, ,181,215 6, % Asylum seekers recognised as refugees, ,905 3, % Refugees resettled from other countries, ,442 11, % Refugees recognised or resettled, ,347 14, % Media enquiries: Kate Gauthier

3 Refugees and people in refugee-like situations, 2009 Rank Country of asylum Total Per 1000 popn Rank Per $b GDP Rank Per 1000 sq k m Rank 1 Pakistan 1,740, , , Iran 1,070, , Syria 1,054, , , Germany 593, , Jordan 450, , , Kenya 358, , Chad 338, , China 300, United States of America 275, United Kingdom 269, , Bangladesh 228, , , Venezuela 201, France 196, Sudan 186, , Democratic Republic of Congo 185, , India 185, Yemen 170, , Canada 169, Uganda 127, , Ethiopia 121, , Tanzania 118, , Ecuador 116, , Congo, Republic of 111, , Nepal 108, , Thailand 105, Cameroon 99, , Egypt 94, Algeria 94, Serbia 86, , Sweden 81, Netherlands 76, , Malaysia 66, Zambia 56, , Italy 54, Rwanda 54, , , Lebanon 50, , , South Africa 47, Switzerland 46, , Austria 38, Norway 37, Iraq 35, Central African Republic 27, , Mauritania 26, , Burundi 24, , Côte d'ivoire 24, Montenegro 24, , Australia 22, Senegal 22, , Denmark 20, Costa Rica 19, Other countries 377,161 Total 10,396,540 Australia's share 0.22%

4 Asylum applications, 2009 (individual applications and group recognition) [excluding appeals] Rank Country of asylum Total Per 1000 popn Rank Per $b GDP Rank Per 1000 sq km Rank 1 South Africa 222, Congo, Republic of 95, , Kenya 87, , Ethiopia 45, France 42, Malaysia 40, Uganda 36, , Ecuador 35, Yemen 34, Canada 33, Chad 33, , Syria 31, United Kingdom 29, Germany 27, Sudan 26, United States of America 24, Sweden 24, Central African Republic 19, , Cameroon 17, Italy 17, Norway 17, Belgium 17, Switzerland 16, Greece 15, Austria 15, Somalia 15, Netherlands 14, Poland 10, Turkey 7, India 7, Jordan 7, Thailand 6, Australia 6, Finland 5, Russian Federation 5, Hungary 4, Djibouti 4, , Burundi 3, , Libya 3, Denmark 3, Iraq 3, Indonesia 3, Egypt 3, Cyprus 3, Lebanon 3, Spain 3, Venezuela 2, Ireland 2, Tajikistan 2, Malta 2, Other countries 32,892 Total 1,181,215 Australia's share 0.53%

5 Asylum seekers recognised as refugees, 2009 (group and individual recognition) Rank Country of asylum Total Per 1000 popn Rank Per $1b GDP Rank Per 1000 sq km Rank 1 Congo, Republic of 94, , Kenya 76, , Ethiopia 42, Malaysia 35, Yemen 33, Chad 33, , Syrian Arab Republic 30, Uganda 29, Sudan 26, Ecuador 26, United States of America 19, Central African Republic 19, , Cameroon 16, United Kingdom 12, Canada 11, Germany 9, Italy 9, Sweden 9, Netherlands 7, Thailand 7, Jordan 6, Switzerland 6, Turkey 6, Norway 4, Austria 4, South Africa 4, Djibouti 3, , Australia 3, India 3, Belgium 2, Lebanon 2, Libya 2, Burundi 2, Poland 2, Russian Federation 2, Egypt 1, Malta 1, , Cyprus 1, Finland 1, Iraq Tajikistan Denmark Indonesia Malawi Japan Zimbabwe , Mozambique Pakistan Costa Rica Ireland Other countries 6,245 Total 631,905 Australia's share 0.54%

6 Refugee resettlement, 2009 Rank Country of arrival Total Per 1,000 popn GDP (per $b) Per 1000 sq km 1 United States 79, Canada 12, Australia 11, Germany 2, Sweden 1, Norway 1, United Kingdom New Zealand Finland Denmark Netherlands Ireland Belgium Brazil Argentina Luxembourg Czech Rep Uruguay Nicaragua Total 112,442 Australia's share 9.85%

7 Refugee recognition and resettlement, 2009 Rank Country of asylum Recognised Resettled Recognised + resettled Per capita Rank Per $b GDP Rank Per 1000 sq km Rank 1 United States of America 19,800 79,937 99, Congo, Republic of 94,126 94, Kenya 76,133 76, Ethiopia 42,693 42, Malaysia 35,524 35, Yemen 33,541 33, Chad 33,366 33, Syrian Arab Republic 30,696 30, Uganda 29,558 29, Sudan 26,496 26, Ecuador 26,342 26, Canada 11,154 12,457 23, Central African Republic 19,652 19, Cameroon 16,470 16, Australia 3,441 11,080 14, United Kingdom 12, , Germany 9,726 2,069 11, Sweden 9,369 1,936 11, Italy 9,573 9, Netherlands 7, , Thailand 7,265 7, Jordan 6,882 6, Switzerland 6,675 6, Norway 4,938 1,391 6, Turkey 6,074 6, Austria 4,783 4, South Africa 4,567 4, Djibouti 3,934 3, India 3,297 3, Belgium 2, , Lebanon 2,711 2, Libya 2,645 2, Burundi 2,638 2, Poland 2,591 2, Russian Federation 2,466 2, Finland 1, , Egypt 1,876 1, Malta 1,696 1, Cyprus 1,428 1, Denmark , Iraq Tajikistan New Zealand Indonesia Ireland Malawi Japan Zimbabwe Mozambique Pakistan Other countries 6, ,709 Total 631, , ,347 Australia's share 0.54% 9.85% 1.95%