Refugees face further discrimination

BY SARAH STEPHEN

The 8500 refugees who hold temporary protection visas are already
denied the right to bring their families to Australia, are not allowed
to have access to free English language classes, resettlement services
or employment assistance. If the federal government gets its way, refugees
with TPVs will also have to meet Centrelink's mutual obligation requirements
if they receive the “special benefit” payment.

On October 17, the House of Representatives passed the Family and Community
Services Legislation Amendment (Special Benefit Activity Test) Bill 2002,
which will, from January 1, subject all TPV holders who are recipients
of the special benefit to the same activity tests that apply to Newstart
recipients, including work for the dole.

Those TPV holders of work force age who continue to receive special
benefit after January 1 will not be affected by the legislation, but those
who find work, then become unemployed again, will be subject to the new
requirements. The bill is currently being debated in the Senate.

Given the government's denial of basic and essential resettlement services,
only 44% of TPV holders have found some sort of employment or have alternative
means of support. The rest receive special benefit.

If the legislation is passed, it will be the first time that activity
tests for government benefits have been enshrined in legislation.

During debate on the bill, government ministers cynically presented
the legislation as a measure to assist TPV holders' integration into the
community. National Party member Kay Hull misleadingly claimed: “By allowing
those with temporary protection visas to work, this legislation will enable
them to improve their language and social skills whilst gaining additional
employment skills for the future.”

In fact, TPV refugees have never been barred from working. They have
simply found it very difficult to gain employment because of their lack
of English. The proposed legislation does not address this. It simply compels
refugees to meet a far greater range of requirements in order to receive
a minimal government payment.

As TPV conditions forbid refugees from accessing free training courses
or further study, if Centrelink advises a refugee to take an English language
course, or TAFE or university study, to fulfil their mutual obligation
requirements, they may well have to pay for it themselves.

While the ALP supports some refugees' right to stay in Australia being
restricted, it has opposed the notion that mutual obligation requirements
should apply to a category of people to whom the government is not providing
services. If Labor maintains its opposition, the bill may be rejected by
the Senate.

From Green Left Weekly, October 30, 2002.

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From GLW issue 514