The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) calls on all politicians to refrain from securitisation and politicisation of refugees seeking safety.
Under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has a right to seek refuge. Palestinians seeking refuge have been subjected to violence for decades. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported some 40,000 lives have been lost since the most recent crisis started in October last year.
SCOA CEO, Ms Sandra Elhelw said “We must apply the same humanitarian processes to all, with no distinction on the basis of race, language, place of origin, or faith. Similar processes to those being applied to refugees fleeing Gaza have been used for other refugees in the past.”
Both Coalition and Labor governments have a precedent of acting quickly and decisively to provide refuge to those in conflict zones. Similar processes have been used for the emergency evacuation of Afghan refugees fleeing Kabul in 2021, as well as for Syrian refugees and refugees from the former Yugoslavia.
Ms Elhelw continued, “Australia is a successful multicultural country, but our social cohesion must not be taken for granted. Divisive comments by political leaders put a target on certain communities, fan sentiments of discord between communities and affect cohesion throughout the country.”
As a society, we are all collectively thinking about Australia’s best interests at heart, but securitisation of certain groups based on their nationality and place of origin is far more harmful than helpful.
SCOA Chair, Ms Melissa Monteiro said, “The settlement sector is working tirelessly to ensure newcomers can thrive in Australia and feel a sense of belonging, however negative rhetoric makes it harder to do so.”
ENDS
For media enquiries, contact Humaira Mehboob at humaira.mehboob@scoa.org.au or on (02) 6282 8515.
About The Settlement Council of Australia
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) represents organisations across Australia providing services to people of refugee and migrant background. Our goal is to help ensure the best possible settlement outcomes for migrants and refugees settling in Australia.
