Iraqi Refugee Settlement in Australia - Essay Example

Their state of mind tends not to be trustful or overly optimistic; indeed, these are people who have escaped from wars, from persecution for beliefs or affiliations, and in many cases suffered human rights violations. These people often include those whom have arrived in Australia under the government's Humanitarian Program, in the refugee stream, as Special Humanitarian Entrants, and have been granted permanent protection visas after arrival. There also include, and this is an important distinction, people that have arrived as asylum seekers and, after an assessment, have been granted only temporary protection visas.

Classification issues, whether one is granted permanent or temporary protection, is highly relevant. The Iraqi communities in Australia have become an increasingly important concern as war rages in their homeland and as more and more Iraqis seek refuge in Australia. The 2001 Census recorded 24,760 Iraq-born people in Australia (an increase of 77 per cent over 1996); these people were diverse in terms of precise ethnic backgrounds, and actually included Arabic Iraqis (44 per cent), Assyrian Iraqis (41 per cent) and Kurdish-speaking groups from Iraq (4 per cent).

(Victorian Multicultural Affairs, 2003) As an instance of local increases in Iraqi refugee populations, Victoria's Iraq-born population has increased from 3500 in 1996 to 6773 in 2003; this is a significant 93 per cent increase (Department of Victoria Communities, 2003). Some 77 percent of Iraqi arrivals since 1996 have been humanitarian entrants (refugees). Others have come as family members or as skilled migrants. Some came as unauthorised arrivals by boat, were put in detention centres, and were subsequently recognized as refugees, but were only granted temporary protection.

Thus, not only is the Iraqi population in Australia fractured by diverse ethnic affiliations, but they are also present under different legal designations. Many settled in NSW and other state; Greater Shepparton is a city of some 55,000 people, 180 kilometres north of Melbourne, where many Iraqis have decided to settle. Local estimates are that the Iraqi community living in the Shepparton area in 2004 numbered about 3000 people, including Australian-born children. There are also some seasonal increases.

The refugees have been mainly Muslims from the centre and south of Iraq. Various accounts are given of the first Iraqis coming to Shepparton. The first few Iraqis apparently came to the fruit and vegetable-producing Goulburn Valley in the early 1990s seeking employment. Larger numbers of Iraqi refugees arrived from 1997, having come from camps in Saudi Arabia and gone first to Sydney and Melbourne, then on to Kyabram, Cobram, and Shepparton. These refugees were granted permanent protection status.

Within a couple of years, most of the Iraqis who had come to Kyabram relocated to Shepparton. Then, from 1999, some Iraqi refugees started arriving in Australia by boat and were placed in detention centres and later released with Temporary Protection Visas.Some of these Iraqis settled in Shepparton with the support of the Ethnic Community Council.There were some 700 to 800 Iraqis on