Australia‘s Immigration Policy

1. Australia‘s Immigration Policy • Situation during the last 60 years • How are the illegal immigrants treated • Situation in Woomera • What does the Australian Government want

2. The last 60 years • 50 000 permanent migrants per year • Mainly from Britain or New Zealand • Since 1945, 5.9 million people migrated to Australia • 500 000 people came to Australia as legal refugees • Nearly every fourth Australian citizen was born in a different country

3. A multi-cultural nation • Australia provides thousands of resettlement places per year • This way Australia became the multi-cultural nation it is today

4. The treatment of illegal refugees • Australia‘s Government is very strict to illegal immigrants • This strategy is popular in the public • The Government got re-elected last year • They fear that releasing detainees into the community would only encourage more illegal immigrants to come

5. The detention camps • Illegal immigrants are put into detention camps, until their cases are assessed • It may take up to 2 years for their cases to be finalized • The detention camps are very isolated

6. The situation in Woomera • To protest against the conditions the mainly Afghan refugees in the detention camp of Woomera were refusing to eat for 15 days

7. The situation in Woomera • 35 sew their lips together • 200 of them were refusing to eat • 9 teenagers threatened to kill themselves

8. What does the Government want? • The Australian Government thinks it is safe now for the Afghans to go back to Afghanistan • But ethnic minorities are still persecuted there • Australia would provide “generous compensation“ • They think that would help to rebuild the country