Refugees seeking asylum in Australia are placed in detention centers in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific island of Nauru. While Australian authorities say that their asylum seeker policy works to deter people smuggling. However, critics argue that it is a violation of human rights and urge authorities to find a humane solution. Gulf News asked readers whether or not there is a need for a universal law on how to deal with asylum seekers and if they do more good or bad to a country.
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There should be a universal law to protect refugees, however, it is every country’s right to protect its country and citizens for security reasons. You do not know the background of the people arriving, and that can be a cause of concern as some of them may carry diseases, which is a health issue. Another major issue with refugees is the economic impact that they have on society, as they need to adapt and carry the rights of the citizens of that country. It may take some time for them before they can actually learn the language and when they then start to look for jobs, it becomes a concern for the natives of the country, as they will find difficulties to find jobs. It is definitely wrong to force someone to stay in a detention centers and it is every persons right to have a safe existence, but at the same time authorities need to think of what is best for their country. There needs to be a policy that provides a humane solution to deal with refugees until authorities investigate the case of that particular asylum seeker and decide whether it is a valid reason to let them stay or not. It is every person’s right to seek a safe existence and be let into the country provided that there is a reason for it.
From Eisa Al Bannai
Business student in Sharjah
Every country wants to protect its way of life, but refusing asylum to refugees violates human rights and that in turn, makes a big impact on society. Without support with from the authorities, refugees suffer mentally and physically and this is a concern for their wellbeing. However, deporting refugees prevent recognising their vulnerability and may endanger their rights. In terms of misusing the process to build a better economic future, everyone wants to live the life they want by seeking opportunities and providing a future for their loved ones to survive in despite the crisis. Countries have started to refuse asylum because the number of refugees have increased due to various conflicts around the world and it has become uncontrollable. People are becoming refugees every day and many more are seeking asylum.
From Bhernel Rejoso
Executive director in Dubai
International law recognise the right of a person to seek asylum from persecution in other countries. Considering that the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved on December 10, 1948 by the General Assembly have affirmed the principle that human beings shall enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms without discrimination. It is important to carry in mind the amount of people that are considered to be refugees and the economic capability of the host country as well as the national security of the county that they are placed in. These elements are essential to determine the ability of a country to take in or refuse refugees. Hence, if any of the mentioned elements are jeopardized, then it is valid for a country to refuse to entertain refugees at the time being. If a specific country decides to accept refugees, then it has the responsibility to retain and provide the basic needs of life. If the presence of refugees are a national security threat or might affect the hegemony of the country, then authorities have the right to deport refugees to assure its own survival and the survival of its constitutional rights towards its citizens. Refugees misusing the process to build a better economic future have been seen in Jordan, where you have refugees creating a monopoly in a specific sector. This in turn becomes a national security threat on the host country. There is a need for solid internal policies to control such from happening with the help of international bodies such as the United Nations. Countries may refuse asylum seekers due to inherent bias on racial stereotypes because civilisational such as religion, language and even sectarian conflicts that lead to disagreements and long lasting hatred between different sides. In this case, some countries do reject refugees. Other countries might have the same background but refuse to entertain refugees due to political reasons and external coercion. Hence, we can examine both types of countries refusing refugees whether bias racial stereotypes exist or don’t.
From Mohammad Al Olama
Entrepreneur in Dubai
Refusing to grant asylum is the every countries right just as countries have the right to refuse or grant other things. This has to do with a country’s right to govern the way it sees fit. The act of deporting in itself does not violate a person’s right to existence. It merely indicates that that individual cannot be accommodated. This is a tricky situation, as asylum seekers should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by a panel of experts. However, a country can never be 100% safe as you can never be absolutely sure of what a person’s intention and long term plans are. While there is a need for a universal law protecting the rights of all people, including asylum seekers, we also need to remember that there is a need to protect the sovereignty of the receiving countries.
From Afra Atiq
Event coordinator in Dubai
Each country should have the right to decide what they want to do with asylum seekers; however, an international body should approve the policies to ensure that it is fair and does not violate basic human rights. Refugees seeking asylum in other countries need to show sincerity to the need of them staying in the country as well as respecting the rules and regulations of the host country in order to not be hated by the native citizens of the country that they arrive in. However, it is also important to set a limited time frame for the duration of their stay, as if a country is going to take in refugees, they will propagate and may take exceed the number of natives in the country, and then that is a national security issue for the host country. In Sweden for example, we have the issue of Romanians pouring in to the country and while some of them misuse the process to build a better economic future for themselves by engaging in criminal activities it has affected all Romanians by creating hatred and discrimination towards them. It is vital for all refugees to be sincere about their need to stay in the country and fulfill the requirements of being a citizen rather than fleeing to a country in order to exploit the system by receiving all benefits without actually contributing to the society.
From Jackeline Palsson
Café assistant in Sweden