DIMIA Annual Report 2001-02
INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION OF DISPLACED AFGHAN AND IRAQI REFUGEES
Objective
To promote a coordinated, international approach to the development of a long-term solution for displaced Afghans and Iraqis.
Description
The causes of humanitarian outflows include persecution, conflict, natural disasters and poverty.
For any individual, a range of these factors may influence their decision to flee to a country of first asylum or to undertake secondary movement from that country.
Australia recognises that the mixed nature of the outflow requires a response that seeks to address both the humanitarian needs of displaced people, along with their protection needs where these people are refugees.
Australia has, therefore, sought to encourage the development of comprehensive, integrated responses to humanitarian outflows, including addressing the conditions in source and first asylum countries.
Countries of first asylum bear a significant burden for the critical role they play in the international protection system, especially in relation to the unresolved and long-standing caseloads in the Middle East and South West Asia.
In particular, the government has identified the need for a coordinated, international approach to the development of a long-term solution for displaced Afghans and Iraqis.
The change of political circumstances in Afghanistan in late 2001 provided the opportunity for substantive progress on these issues.
Accordingly, the government through AusAID and the department provided in total over $40m. during 2001-02 toward assisting displaced Afghans within both Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.
Allocations from the $5.1m. available under this program during 2001-02 comprised:
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$3m. to the UNHCR announced in January 2002 for resettlement activities related to Afghans and Iraqis
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$1.1m. to the IOM for the development of reception facilities for Afghans returning to Afghanistan such as the reception centre at Jangalak in Kabul
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$1m. in funding for the IOM's operations in Afghanistan to maintain the internal transportation network which is vital in assisting returnees to get to their home villages.
Key results
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Australia has continued to promote the development of comprehensive and integrated solutions to the situation of displaced Afghans and Iraqis.
During 2001-02, for example, these issues were promoted in the UNHCR Executive Committee, the IGC and through the Regional Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime held in Bali in February 2002 -
in October 2001 Australia co-financed the Forum on Afghan Refugees and Displaced Persons in Geneva which discussed the situation of displaced Afghans.
The Forum resulted in over US$700m. being committed by donor countries in a coordinated response to the short-term crisis in Afghanistan and South West Asia -
at 30 June 2002 over one million Afghans had returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring countries, both spontaneously and facilitated through the UNHCR. Some 400,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) had also returned home
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Australian aid initiatives during 2001-02 provided valuable assistance for the return of displaced Afghans. The change of country circumstances coupled with the provision of international aid have significantly reduced the outflow of Afghans from their country.
Secondary movements to our region have also significantly slowed
- assisting displaced Iraqis will be a major focus for allocations under this program in 2002-03.