The Financing and Help of the Refugees in Australia - Essay Example

Financing Refugees in Australia Name: Date: Affiliation: Financing Refugees in Australia Persuasive essay Introduction There is a humanitarian aspect which makes people has the urge to help others. Christian teaching in the gospel of Matthew affirms the importance of helping the poor and more especially the refugees. The refugees may have poor or rich background but the fact that they are refugees are obliged to financial help (Perini, 2003). In Australia, there are many refugees from different countries in the world. The Australian government and the entire civilian population have taken measures to ensure that the refugees are given relevant financial support to make sure that they live a normal live just like any other citizens in the country (Australian government, 2014). The financial aids involve giving grants and maintenance fees which they use buy food and get shelter. Moreover, at times, they may be organized into groups and their projects are founded ensuring that they are constructive in the long run. Some of the payments that the refugees are eligible include crisis payment, rent assistance, benefits of taking of the child and finally education finance (Buckmaster, 2009).The crisis payment is legible to those refugees who have entered Australia for the first time and they have the offshore humanitarian visa. Rent assistance finance is given so that the refugees can manage to pay the rent privately and also receive other payments. The child care benefit is given to mothers who have children and they need to take of the children either before or even after school (Buckmaster, 2009). The above financial assistances are some of the many financial duties that are entitled to the refugees. There are various types of refugees who enter Australia ranging from asylum seekers to political detainees. They are others who flee their country to trace their family backgrounds which were separated may be through war or migration. All these category of people lacks a good foundation of finances and that s the relevant authorities such as UNCHR and respective governments allocates the set amount of money to ensure that they help the refugees. The governments of Australia in association with the Red Cross international have started a financial scheme which helps the families to reunite with their loved ones who may have separated through natural disasters and war. The state and Red Cross offer the services though they provide basic commodities that the refugee may be requiring. Moreover, they may help in sending of information to the relative in case of formal communication is not possible. They may also help the refugee to check the welfare of the relative who might be overseas and might not be able to reach there, due to circumstances such as sickness or physical inability. The Red Cross in association with Australia may at times confirm detention overseas through visiting the person provide the necessary financial in the particular country. Australian Red Cross has monitored the conditions and also providing the tracing services in the immigration detention facilities for a period of more than twenty years (Chaves, 2009). The Austrian Red Cross is highly respected and dignified for the concern of issues concerning immigration and detention. Though an indirect form of financial assistance, it uses its finances to ensure that the individuals who are in detention are living dignified life and at the same time the welfare is maintained and enhanced (Feuilherade, 2012).The aim of the Red Cross is to ensure that resilience is increased and harm is reduced as much as possible. Red Cross believes that governments usually determine immigration and detention and, therefore, it is necessary for the initial health and checks concerning security, the sanction should be used for the shortest period and also favorable conditions should be provided. Moreover, the Red Cross community commits its finance to ensure that the individuals who are in detention are entitled to good health, respect, dignity and general wellbeing affirming the importance of finance for refugees. Without, the appropriate finances, it is not possible to ensure that the refugees in detention are under good environment and generally conducive environment (Feuilherade, 2012). Red Cross finances the humanitarian observers who ensure that staff and volunteers who normally conduct the human right monitoring of immigration detention facilities all across Australia are in place. Humanitarian observers normally assess the general condition of the detention immigration and assess the services and treatment of people who are in detention. Red Cross is the only external organization which is allowed to visit all the detention facilities on a regular basis based on the monitoring agreement (Healey, 2009).Through the agreement, it is able to raise any concern that maybe related to the safety and general health of the immigrant refugee. The monitoring is usually funded by the Australian Red Cross and it usually complements the monitoring by the Ombudsman commonwealth and the human rights commission. The financing may be indirect, but it works for the welfare of the refugees (Healey, 2009). The financing of the refugees may also be evident in the community detention programs. Community detention programs may also provide support to the vulnerable people who live in particular communities rather those who live in immigration detention facilities as they wait for the entire processing of their visa. The program normally provides support to the families who have children and also minors who are unaccompanied and also any other individual whom may be found legible by the government. People who are in the detention camps are legally detained and they are not allowed to work and that makes it paramount for the government and relevant bodies to plan on their feeding among other necessities. The above strategies can only be enhanced through well stipulated financing to ensure that all the needs of the people are met. The Australian Red Cross society is the leading agency which spearheads the program though entire financing is facilitated by the community detention program (Healey, 2009). The program support involves accessing safe housing, health care and ultimately educating the school children. Red Cross normally assists the migrants irrespective of nationality or legal status (Yoshida, 2011). These activities are all aimed at ensuring that the people are provided with the basic commodities which are pivotal for their survival. It should be noted that the individuals who live in the detention camps are entitled to minimal allowances that help them to meet the minimal requirements (Refugee council, 2011). Refugees as posited above may be asylum seekers who are faced with extreme hardship and they are not certain about their future. These refugees may have experienced trauma and mostly they may not speak English (Healey, 2009). Australia has been having many asylums flowing in the country and it has been kind enough to accommodate and finance them according to the international standards. Mostly, some of these people have little or no financial support and, therefore, the government through department of immigration and institutions like Red Cross must provide finances to cater for their basic needs. During the hardship times when the people have little or no money, the Red Cross usually finances their basic such as shelter and clothing to ensure that they live better and dignified life (St Vincent de Paul society, 2012). Upon refugees reaching Australia, the government and other stakeholders administer settlement services that assist the refugees with their initial settlement. The services mainly focus on building self reliant individuals through providing them with finances that help them settle in the Australian main mainstream. The refugees normally access income just like any other Australian who is living permanently (Sparrow, 2005). Presently the fortnight rate for the age pension, disability support pension and the career payment is around $733.70 for a single individual while a fortnight new start for special benefit is$497 for those who do not have children. In cases where the refugee has a family member in Australia, they are closely located to them for familiarization and safety. However, if they do not have any friend or relative they are located in an area where they can get affordable housing in the long run (Sparrow, 2005) this ensures that the refugees are comfortable in Australia and can manage to earn their daily bread effectively. Moreover, the Australian government have gone ahead to ensure that the immigrants get good jobs through enhancing job search and also financing their process of getting jobs. Giving grants is also another step the government has taken to ensure the refugees are safe. The grants may be used to start a small business or even settle down in Australia (St Vincent de Paul society, 2012). Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the Australian government has taken initiative when it comes to financing the refugees. The individuals who visit Australian as refugees are entitled to the same services just as Australian citizens. The Red Cross and the Australian department of migration play a key role in ensuring that the refugees are safe through effective financing. Be it political prisoners, detention and even asylum seekers, all the refugees in Australia are taken into account. Persuasive brochure Day in day out one will be able to find that refugees are increasing due to escalated levels of calamites, wars and even political persecutions. Following such occurrences, people have opted to migrate to other countries to seek for better life and safety. Australia has not been an exception and thousands of immigrants are flocking the boundaries, seeking asylums and others for a job. All; these individuals are collectively known as refugees. According to United Nations, each and every member country should accommodate refugees irrespective of nationality and ethnicity since it is a human right to access food and other requirements in order to survive. Red Cross in conjunction with many governments in the world has played a great role in enhancing lives of the needy and vulnerable people such as the refugees through providing quality services which ensure survival. There are those individuals who run away from their countries with their families and upon reaching Australia they are put in community detention camps before their visas are processed. In the meantime, they are fed and given little finances that help them to meet the small financial needs that may arise. The women who have children are given special attention and they are given finances that help them provide basic needs to the children. All these are aimed to ensure that human rights are safeguarded in the right way. On the other hand, there are some notable individuals who are sent to detention camps by their own governments citing insecurity and stability. Some of these individuals might be politicians or even prominent leaders. The government of Australia in conjunction with the Red Cross society of Australia ensures that these individuals are living dignified despite their situation. The asylum, seekers from different countries and more especially Bangladesh and other Asian countries are the main in Australia. They usually go to the country to seek better life and employment. Most of their countries are politically unstable and, therefore, they opt to try Australia. Australian government is kind enough to accommodate them and also provide them with visas that enable them to get work in the country. Before being incorporated in the working environment of the country, they are financed such a way that they can afford their basic needs easily. Following such initiatives by the Australian government, all the governments in the world should adopt the same policy and help each and every refugee who comes along their sway. Itis paramount to note that anybody can become a refugee no matter the status since calamities knows no boundaries. Be it a king or a beggar in their own country, they should help and accommodate refugees as much as possible. The undertaking of the United Nations under the umbrella of UNCHCR is a good example that all individuals should copy for the betterment of the society. Refugees are just our brothers and sisters and simple finance from individuals and country at large. References Australian government, (2014.). Fact Sheet 98 –Settlement Services for Refugees. Fact Sheet 98 –Settlement Services for Refugees. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/publications/fact-sheet-98-settlement-services-for-refugees Buckmaster, L. (2009.). Australian Government assistance to refugees: fact v fiction . Australian Government assistance to refugees: fact v fiction . Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/library/pubs/bn/sp/austgovassist_refugees.pdf Chaves, N. J. (2009, November 1). Screening practices for infectious diseases among Burmese refugees in Australia.(RESEARCH)(Report). Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2, 15. Feuilherade, P. (2012, January 1). Refugee Tides Surge across Arab World. The Middle East, 2, 15. Healey, J. (2009). Refugees. Thirroul, N.S.W.: Spinney Press. Perini, J. (2003). Refugees. Alexandria, NSW: Watts Publishing Australia and New Zealand. Refugee council. (2011). Refugee council. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/f/smt-l&f.php St Vincent de Paul society, (2012). Refugees and Migrants - St Vincent de Paul Society - Good Works. Refugees and Migrants - St Vincent de Paul Society – Good Works. Retrieved May 29, 2014, from http://www.vinnies.org.au/page/Our_Impact/Asylum_Seekers_Migrants_Refugees/ Sparrow, P. (2005). From under a leaky roof: Afghan refugees in Australia. Fremantle, W.A.: Fremantle Arts Centre Press. Yoshida, M. (2011). Women, citizenship and migration: the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees in Australia and Japan = OÌ„sutoraria to Nihon no shiminken : Betonamu nanmin josei no saiteijuÌ„ no keiken kara (Shohan. ed.). Kyoto: Nakanishiya Shuppan. Read More