DIMA Annual Report 1997-98
Sub-program 3.1: Humanitarian
Objective
Description
Performance information
Financial and staffing resources summary
Performance outcomes
Objective
To resettle refugees and others in humanitarian need who are outside Australia.
Description
The subprogram is responsible for:
- policy development, in relation to the offshore component of the humanitarian program, that is:
– Refugees, Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) and Special Assistance Category (SAC); and
- planning and managing the efficient delivery of the offshore component of the humanitarian program.
The sub-program is delivered primarily through 16 overseas posts. The Humanitarian Branch in Central Office is responsible for the sub-program.
[ Top Of Page ]Performance information
Outcomes are measured by the extent to which:
- the humanitarian program is delivered on target;
- the program is focused on those in greatest need of resettlement;
- priority cases, in particular Woman at Risk and split families, are identified and processed quickly; and
- the Department has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other international and regional bodies, and community stakeholders to ensure the effective planning and delivery of the program.
Financial and staffing resources summary
1997–98 |
1997–98 |
1996–97 |
|
| Budgetary (cash) basis | |||
| Components of appropriations | |||
| Annual appropriations | |||
| Running costs | 2 234 |
2 426 |
n/a |
| Other program costs | 5 997 |
5 695 |
n/a |
| Total appropriations | 8 231 |
8 121 |
n/a |
| Less adjustments | 0 |
0 |
n/a |
| Total outlays | 8 231 |
8 121 |
n/a |
| Total revenue | 0 |
0 |
n/a |
| Staffing | |||
| Staff years (actual) | 30 |
25 |
n/a |
Due to program restructures in both 1996–97 and 1997–98, sub-program figures for 1996–97 actuals are not meaningful for comparative purposes to 1997–98 figures. They have therefore not been included in this table.
[ Top Of Page ]Performance outcomes
(i) Humanitarian Program
The humanitarian program was delivered on target, with 12 055 visas granted.
For planning purposes, the 1997–98 humanitarian program was originally nationally divided into 10 000 places for people overseas deemed to be in need of humanitarian resettlement and 2 000 places for people in Australia found to be refugees and issued with protection visas.
In April 1998, the Minister announced that 500 program places, which were not expected to be required for protection visas in Australia, would be re-allocated to resettle people from overseas.
The lower number required onshore resulted, in part, from concentration by protection visa processing on new applicants who were from predominantly non-refugee producing countries. The transfer of the 500 places ensured that the total program was met, consistent with the Government's commitment to assisting people in humanitarian need.
Even distribution of arrivals across the year assists providers of settlement services, but during 1997–98 the delivery of the program was uneven. This was due to changed administrative arrangements for processing health clearances, which came into effect early in the year, and to allocations of additional places to posts later in the year. Visa grants returned to pro rata rates late in the year.
Program management mechanisms, including the use of a smaller un-allocated reserve, will be revised in 1998–99 to assist posts to maintain a steady pattern of visa grants.
(ii) Greatest need
Since coming to office, the Government has been concerned to see that the humanitarian program is targeted to identify those who are in greatest need and for whom resettlement in Australia is the best solution. Offshore refugee visa grants increased from 3 334 in 1996–97 to 4 010 in 1997–98. This category is for people who face persecution and, in doing so, have particularly strong needs for resettlement.
Visa grants under the Special Humanitarian Program (which caters for people facing substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of human rights) have risen from 2 583 in 1996–97 to 4 636 in 1997–98.
In March 1996, the Department reviewed the Special Assistance Category (SAC) and subsequently announced the closure of three specific SAC categories. In 1997–98 it announced the closure of a fourth category, the Vietnamese SAC. The size of the total SAC has continued to decline, with 1 821 SAC visas being issued in 1997–98, as against 3 735 in 1996–97 and 6 910 in 1995–96.
[ Top Of Page ]Table 3.1 (a): Humanitarian Program outcomes by category, 1996–97 and 1997–98
| Category/Component | Outcomes |
|
1996–97 |
1997–98 |
|
| Refugee | 3 334 |
4 010 |
| Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) |
2 583 |
4 636 |
| Special Assistance Category (SAC) |
3 735 |
1 821 |
| Onshore Refugee | 2 251 |
1 588 |
| Totals | 11 903 |
12 055 |
Table 3.1 (b): Special Assistance Category, regional outcomes, 1996–97 and 1997–98
| Region | Outcomes |
|
1996–97 |
1997–98 |
|
| East Timorese in Portugal, Macao and Mozambique | 80 |
– |
| Citizens of the former Yugoslavia | 1 859 |
865 |
| Minorities of the former USSR | 120 |
86 |
| Burmese in Burma | 46 |
– |
| Sudanese | 334 |
242 |
| Burmese in Thailand | 208 |
100 |
| Cambodian | 144 |
– |
| Sri Lankan | 290 |
109 |
| Ahmadi | 54 |
50 |
| Vietnamese | 600 |
369 |
| Totals | 3 735 |
1 821 |
As with the 1996–97 program year, the Minister announced three regions as priority for resettlement places – the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East and Africa.
As a result:
- there were 5 175 visas granted to people from the former Yugoslavia (bringing to more than 30 000 the number of people from that area resettled in Australia since the conflict began). Processing policies for this caseload continued to give priority to those in mixed marriages, torture and trauma victims, and former detainees who were unable to return to their former place of residence;
- there were 2 952 visas granted to people from the Middle East; and
- there were 1 473 visas granted to people from Africa.
Table 3.1 (c): Humanitarian Program (offshore), regional outcomes, 1996–97 and 1997–98
| Region | Outcomes |
|
1996–97 |
1997–98 |
|
| Europe | 4 214 |
5 307 |
| Middle East | 2 435 |
2 952 |
| Africa | 1 245 |
1 473 |
| Asia | 1 676 |
685 |
| Americas | 82 |
50 |
| Totals | 9 652 |
10 467 |
As part of its consultations on the size and composition of the migration and humanitarian programs, the Government consults with the wider community.
Sixty submissions were received this year focusing on the humanitarian program; 43 of those were from refugee organisations in the community.
To ensure the humanitarian program is fine-tuned during the year to reflect changing domestic and international situations, the Department convenes the Inter-Government/Non-Government Organisations (IGNGO) Forum on a three-monthly basis.
The membership comprises a range of key non-Government organisations (NGOs), with an interest in refugee matters, as well as representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
This long-standing forum facilitates the exchange and update of information on humanitarian issues.
(iii) Priority cases
High priority during the year was given to applicants from the Woman at Risk category and to immediate family members of humanitarian visa holders applying under split family regulations.
During 1997–98, there were 543 Woman at Risk visas issued to women in danger because of their gender; the program year's objective was at least 420. There were 475 visa grants to Woman at Risk in 1996–97. An objective of having at least 420 visas granted under this category has again been set for 1998–99.
While processing times for Woman at Risk cases have been reduced by about eight weeks compared to last year, processing can sometimes be lengthy, with 75 per cent of all cases taking up to 53 weeks to finalise. This is due in part to the referral processes, which do not always identify cases early in the application process.
DIMA is currently examining means of quickly and effectively identifying Woman at Risk cases, including making greater use of NGOs in the field.
Split family regulations came into effect on 1 July 1997, to overcome an anomaly which previously compelled immediate family members separated from the humanitarian visa holder to apply under the migration program. During 1997–98, there were 382 visas issued under the split family regulations.
[ Top Of Page ](iv) International cooperation
The Department focused its efforts during 1997–98 in three key areas:
- building partnerships with international organisations, governments in the Asia Pacific region and other countries with resettlement programs;
- fostering capacity-building in the Asia-Pacific region through bilateral and multilateral liaison and the sharing of information and technology; and
- ensuring that issues of concern to Australia in managing the humanitarian program, and migration more generally, are included in international debate.
The Department regularly pursues the above objectives, as appropriate, through its engagement of international organisations and other countries on the complex range of contemporary challenges facing nations.
These challenges include people trafficking, safeguarding asylum systems and dealing with repatriation and return. The perspectives and knowledge gained through working with other countries and various organisations contribute to policy development and to the effective planning and delivery of the Program.
Picture - DIMA officer Ross Norton conducting on-the-job training for Laotian immigration officers.
The Department consults closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); the International Organization for Migration (IOM); the Inter-Governmental Consultations on Asylum, Refugees and Migration Policies in Europe, North America and Australia (IGC); the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT); the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and other relevant agencies.
Close ties with UNHCR were further strengthened with Australian delegations attending major UNHCR meetings, such as the 48th Session of UNHCR Executive Committee Meeting (Excom) in Geneva in October 1997, and five Standing Committee meetings between October 1997 and June 1998. Senior departmental officers also attended several other major international meetings of IOM and IGC throughout the year.
Two key international dignitary visits were hosted by DIMA in August 1997:
- Ms Lucienne Robillard MP, Canadian Minister for Citizenship and Immigration; and
- Dr Lindiwe Sisulu-Guma, South African Deputy Minister for Home Affairs.
The Department continued its focus on supporting regional approaches to managing irregular people movements and refugee issues within the Asia Pacific region, resulting in:
- delegations to the Asia-Pacific Consultations on Refugees and Displaced Persons (APC) meetings in Bangkok, in July 1997 and June 1998;
- attendance at the IOM 'Manila Process' consultations, which focus on worldwide irregular migration, in December 1997;
- hosting a visit by Mr Xu Liugen, Director General, Ministry of Civil Affairs, People's Republic of China, in December 1997; and
- a delegation to the Regional Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (convened by UNHCR and comprising Australian and New Zealand government representatives and NGOs) in May 1998.
Minister Philip Ruddock greets the visiting
Director General of the Ministry of Civil Affairs,
People's Republic of China, Mr Xu Liugen.
The Department also hosted technical level visits during the year by officials from New Caledonia and France, Thailand, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
In 1997–98 this regional focus was strengthened by the Department providing the initial nine months funding (US$36 000) for a coordinator's position associated with the APC and attached to the Bangkok UNHCR office. The coordinator's terms of reference are to collect and disseminate information on people movements among government agencies in the region, and to assist in the establishment of cooperative methods for dealing with irregular migration in the region. Subsequently, after the value of the coordinator's work had been confirmed, the Department provided additional funds (US$48 000) for another twelve months to June 1999.
Other activities of note under this sub-program include:
- the Migration Regulations were amended to implement the United Nations Security Council sanctions, preventing the travel of designated persons from Angola, Iraq and Sierra Leone;
- the Department made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, on Australia's Dialogue on Human Rights in the AsiaPacific Region and appeared before the Committee; and
- discussions were continued with a number of countries in relation to Safe Third Country (STC) agreements1.
1 Consistent with Article 1E of the Refugees Convention and the concept of prior protection, which means that people who already enjoy protection through resettlement in another country do not engage Australia's protection obligations, Australia has a Safe Third Country Agreement with China.
Under this agreement, former refugees of Vietnamese origin who were safely settled in China and subsequently came to Australia without authority are returned to China.
The UNHCR has confirmed that China is a safe country of asylum for Vietnamese refugees, and that Vietnamese refugees enjoy asylum and integration in China.
The Safe Third Country Agreement was signed in January 1995, and the regulations came into effect from June 1996. These regulations were subject to a two-year sunset clause. The agreement was renewed in 1998 for another two years, and the new regulation, 2.12BA, came into force on 1 July 1998.