Raising Australia's humanitarian intake

The issue in depth

Australia has played an important role in resettling vulnerable refugees through the Refugee and Humanitarian Program, but we can be doing so much more. Due to the impacts of Covid-19, last year only 5,947 visas were issued out of an already historically low intake. 

This is in stark contrast to countries like the United States, which have committed to increasing their humanitarian intake to 125,000 places annually. 

Why do people leave their countries? 

There are many reasons why it might be too difficult or dangerous for people to stay in their own countries. For many children, woman and men, they’re forced to flee from violence, war, hunger and extreme poverty, because of their sexual or gender orientation, or from the consequences of climate change or other natural disasters. Often people will face a combination of these difficult circumstances.

Who is a refugee?

A refugee is a person who has fled their own country because they are at risk of serious human rights violations and persecution there. The risks to their safety and life were so great that they felt they had no choice but to leave and seek safety outside their country because their own government cannot or will not protect them from those dangers. Refugees have a right to international protection.

Who is an asylum-seeker?

An asylum-seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn’t yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Seeking asylum is a human right. This means everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum.

What is Amnesty calling for?

Before the 2022 federal election, the Albanese Government committed to increasing the Refugee and Humanitarian Program to 27,000 places annually, as well as making an additional 5000 places available through the Community Sponsorship Program.

This is welcomed, but, Australia can do so much more.

The new Albanese Government must increase the annual Refugee and Humanitarian Program to at least 30,000 places – prioritising people selected by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, as well as ensuring their promised reforms to the Community Sponsorship Program.

If the Albanese Government is committed to doing this, they’ll need to make it clear in their Federal Budget – which is due to be handed down this October. 

It’s crucial that we raise our voices now, and hold them to their promises.