A proposal to halve Australia’s annual humanitarian intake from 20,000 to 10,000 places would shut the door on thousands of people fleeing persecution at a time of record global displacement, leading settlement provider SSI has warned.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the cut, proposed by the Coalition today, would come as nearly 118 million people worldwide are displaced by conflict and persecution, while resettlement opportunities globally are shrinking.
“The world is dealing with one of the biggest displacement crises in its history. This is exactly the wrong time for Australia to be pulling back,” she said.
Ms Roumeliotis said Australia had a long-standing history of offering safety to people fleeing persecution.
“The impact of this proposal would be felt by real people. Fewer places would mean refugees escaping persecution lose access to resettlement, which for many is one of the only lasting ways to rebuild their lives in safety,” she said.
Ms Roumeliotis also raised concerns about proposals to screen out new arrivals based on their country of origin or religion.
“Our migration system is built on fairness, equal opportunity and a fair go. Shutting people out because of where they were born or what they believe risks undermining that.
“These changes are being justified as a way to reduce net overseas migration, but cutting the humanitarian program would make only a marginal difference to the headline number. It would have a small impact on overall migration, but an enormous impact on people fleeing persecution who need Australia’s protection most,” she said.
With parties across the aisle releasing new migration policies in recent weeks, SSI is urging the debate to move beyond short-term targets.
Ms Roumeliotis said the national conversation on migration should not be narrowed down to year-to-year numbers but rather focus on what Australia needs from its migration system over the long term.
“Before we debate how big or small the migration program should be, we need to ask a much more important question: what do we want our migration system to achieve for Australia?
“A National Migration Summit would bring people from every part of Australian society to the table to weigh up the evidence and the trade-offs and agree on a long-term plan for our migration system,” she said.
More than 40 organisations now back SSI’s call for a summit, among them the Minerals Council of Australia, Tech Council of Australia, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, Regional Australia Institute and the Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association.
Ms Roumeliotis said Australians deserve an informed debate about what deep cuts to migration would mean in practice, including worsening skills shortages, longer waiting lists, slower construction and weaker economic growth.
“Recent announcements show the danger of building migration policy around a headline figure without thinking through the consequences or how the system works on the ground. Australia’s future deserves better,” she said.
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About us:
Settlement Services International (SSI) delivers a range of human services that connect individuals, families, and children from diverse backgrounds with opportunities – including settlement support, disability programs, community engagement initiatives and training and employment pathways. At the heart of everything we do is a drive for equality, empathy, and celebration of every individual.
