logo
How Australia became home to a million refugees

How Australia became home to a million refugees

The Age6 days ago
Tran, who was eight at the time, counts herself as lucky that they did not encounter pirates roaming the oceans they had heard stories about.
Her father had worked in a warehouse affiliated with the American army during the war, and feared he had a target on his back. On their 14th attempt, the family made it to a Malaysian refugee camp. Following months of processing, Tran remembers landing in Sydney on a rainy afternoon the following year.
'It was just joyous,' she said. 'To this day, I still love the rain, and when I'm in long car rides and it's raining, yeah, those moments come back.'
Tran is a board director for six organisations ranging from liquor regulation to family violence and financial counselling for women, and said she was motivated to create opportunities for those who otherwise wouldn't have them.
'That's what I've been gifted by just being in Australia,' Tran, who sits on the Victorian Liquor Commission, said. 'We get to live without fear, and we get to live being able to make the most of what the community provides us.'
John Howard's Coalition government began processing refugees offshore in 2001 after the Tampa, a ship carrying 433 mostly Hazara asylum-seekers, grabbed national attention as it tried to enter Australian waters.
The Rudd Labor government dismantled the policy in 2008, with then-minister for immigration and citizenship Chris Evans labelling it a 'cynical, costly and ultimately unsuccessful exercise'.
Four years later, then-prime minister Julia Gillard, under political pressure from opposition leader Tony Abbott, reintroduced offshore processing.
The policy was strengthened under the Abbott government's 'Operation Sovereign Borders' program, which continues to this day with bipartisan support. There were 93 people on Nauru at the end of last year, according to the Refugee Council of Australia.
Faqihi, an ambassador for the council, said her family had been threatened with violence and barred from sending their children to school in Afghanistan as members of the Hazara ethnic minority. She believed Indonesia, where the family moved in 2012, would provide safety and educational opportunities for six months before a country took them in permanently.
But Faqihi and her family were stuck for a decade in processing limbo, unable to get an education or work or access public services because of her refugee status.
'Those 10 years were the darkest moments of my life,' she said. 'We lived through a decade of uncertainty … without any say in the most important decisions being made about our lives.'
Eventually arriving in Australia in 2022 was like being reborn, she said.
The Department of Home Affairs said the refugee program for the 2024-25 financial year had 20,000 places.
Loading
The UK, which has a much larger population than Australia and is also going through a major immigration debate, accepted 93,342 refugees and asylum seekers in the 2023-24 financial year. The US resettled 100,034 refugees in the same year, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
The United Nations has found Australia has violated the human rights of refugees detained in offshore processing, and the policy has been widely criticised by advocates as inhumane.
Faqihi continues to advocate for the almost 12,000 displaced people in limbo in Indonesia.
'There is a lot Australia can do as a leader in the region,' she said. 'Australia can respond by expanding resettlement visas, especially for those who are stuck in the region and our neighbourhood regions.'
Tran said: 'I just hope that Australians continue to take refugees, not because we might add value or anything, but ... because it's the right thing to do, and the best thing you can offer someone is a chance to be Australian.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Australia news LIVE: Albanese to introduce cheaper medication bill; European Union reach 15 per cent trade deal with Trump
Australia news LIVE: Albanese to introduce cheaper medication bill; European Union reach 15 per cent trade deal with Trump

The Age

time24 minutes ago

  • The Age

Australia news LIVE: Albanese to introduce cheaper medication bill; European Union reach 15 per cent trade deal with Trump

Latest posts Latest posts 6.43am Britain warns on China, backs Australia By David Crowe Britain has vowed to 'fight together' with Australia if needed in flashpoints such as the Taiwan Strait, as it steps up its warnings about threats from China, including repression, espionage and hybrid attacks. UK Defence Minister John Healey said Britain and Australia would deter enemies together by being more ready to fight, in some of his most assertive remarks about the risks to global security. The declaration to the British media came days after Healey signed a $41 billion defence treaty with Australia to accelerate the construction of the AUKUS nuclear submarines, seen as essential to countering future trade and military threats. 6.37am Australians 'frosty' on Trump and want distance from US: new polling By Matthew Knott Australians are voicing a strong desire for the country to assert more independence from the United States amid Donald Trump's turbulent presidency, with most voters saying they do not blame Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for failing to secure a meeting with the US president. The latest Resolve Political Monitor survey of more than 2300 people, conducted for this masthead, found that most Australians continue to have strongly negative views of Trump six months after he re-entered the White House. Fewer than one in five Australian voters believe Trump's election was a good outcome for Australia. 6.33am What's making news today By Daniel Lo Surdo Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning. Here's what is making news today: The Albanese government will continue work to execute its election promises this week, with legislation to cap the cost of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines at $25 on the agenda in the sitting second week of the new parliamentary term. Labor also plans to pass legislation to reduce student debts and enact childcare reform this week, after the respective draft laws were introduced in the first sitting week since the government's thumping election victory in May. The European Union have accepted a trade deal with US President Donald Trump that will impose a 15 per cent tariff on billions of dollars in exports, in an agreement that appears set to lift prices for American consumers and hurt sales for European exporters. The deal will also see the EU purchase $US750 billion worth of energy from US in the years ahead, in a move to reduce its reliance on Russian gas. Israel's military carried out airdrops of aid in Gaza on Sunday after Israel said it would establish humanitarian corridors for United Nations aid convoys amid international pressure over mounting reports of starvation-related deaths in Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it would introduce 'tactical pauses' to allow for aid to be distributed, and halt activity in Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10am to 8pm every day until further notice. Australian Oscar Piastri has extended his F1 championship lead after winning the Belgian Grand Prix in a rain-interrupted race at Spa-Francorchamps overnight. Piastri started second on the grid but overtook McLaren teammate Lando Norris early in the race and held his nerve to finish atop the podium. Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc joined Piastri on the dais in Belgium.

Australia news LIVE: Albanese to introduce cheaper medication bill; European Union reach 15 per cent trade deal with Trump
Australia news LIVE: Albanese to introduce cheaper medication bill; European Union reach 15 per cent trade deal with Trump

Sydney Morning Herald

time24 minutes ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

Australia news LIVE: Albanese to introduce cheaper medication bill; European Union reach 15 per cent trade deal with Trump

Latest posts Latest posts 6.43am Britain warns on China, backs Australia By David Crowe Britain has vowed to 'fight together' with Australia if needed in flashpoints such as the Taiwan Strait, as it steps up its warnings about threats from China, including repression, espionage and hybrid attacks. UK Defence Minister John Healey said Britain and Australia would deter enemies together by being more ready to fight, in some of his most assertive remarks about the risks to global security. The declaration to the British media came days after Healey signed a $41 billion defence treaty with Australia to accelerate the construction of the AUKUS nuclear submarines, seen as essential to countering future trade and military threats. 6.37am Australians 'frosty' on Trump and want distance from US: new polling By Matthew Knott Australians are voicing a strong desire for the country to assert more independence from the United States amid Donald Trump's turbulent presidency, with most voters saying they do not blame Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for failing to secure a meeting with the US president. The latest Resolve Political Monitor survey of more than 2300 people, conducted for this masthead, found that most Australians continue to have strongly negative views of Trump six months after he re-entered the White House. Fewer than one in five Australian voters believe Trump's election was a good outcome for Australia. 6.33am What's making news today By Daniel Lo Surdo Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning. Here's what is making news today: The Albanese government will continue work to execute its election promises this week, with legislation to cap the cost of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines at $25 on the agenda in the sitting second week of the new parliamentary term. Labor also plans to pass legislation to reduce student debts and enact childcare reform this week, after the respective draft laws were introduced in the first sitting week since the government's thumping election victory in May. The European Union have accepted a trade deal with US President Donald Trump that will impose a 15 per cent tariff on billions of dollars in exports, in an agreement that appears set to lift prices for American consumers and hurt sales for European exporters. The deal will also see the EU purchase $US750 billion worth of energy from US in the years ahead, in a move to reduce its reliance on Russian gas. Israel's military carried out airdrops of aid in Gaza on Sunday after Israel said it would establish humanitarian corridors for United Nations aid convoys amid international pressure over mounting reports of starvation-related deaths in Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it would introduce 'tactical pauses' to allow for aid to be distributed, and halt activity in Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10am to 8pm every day until further notice. Australian Oscar Piastri has extended his F1 championship lead after winning the Belgian Grand Prix in a rain-interrupted race at Spa-Francorchamps overnight. Piastri started second on the grid but overtook McLaren teammate Lando Norris early in the race and held his nerve to finish atop the podium. Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc joined Piastri on the dais in Belgium.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store