Is Australia doing enough to assist with the global refugee crisis?

Tony Abbott called a press conference about Syrian refugees - ABC News, AAP Lukas Coch

At a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott unveiled his plan to increase Australia's intake of refugees who have been displaced by the war in Syria (ABC News 2015). 

  

However the Australian government’s pledge has been met with criticism. This is because while the government has agreed to increase the numbers of Syrian refugees, this increase will come under existing quotas and it will not lead to an increase in the overall size of the humanitarian resettlement program (Martin & Lewis 2015). 

Mr Abbott confirmed this.

"No, we are proposing to take more people from this region as part of our very substantial commitment," Mr Abbott said (ABC News 2015). 

This has raised doubts as to whether Australia is doing enough at a time when the global refugee crisis has reached an all-time high.

UN Human Rights Commissioner estimates that more than four million people have left Syria since war broke out in 2011, with an additional 7.6 million people displaced within the country (Martin & Lewis 2015).

The viral image of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi has put a face to the plight of refugees and added urgency to the question; what more can Australia do?

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has suggested the creation of ‘safe-havens’ along the borders of both Syria and Iraq (ABC News 2015).

“There should be consideration to whether we can set up safe havens inside Syria, inside Iraq, so that people who don’t want to leave can remain in their home country but safe from the terrorist attacks,” she said (ABC News 2015).

Mr Abbott has also been urged to consider offering temporary visas to the displaced, just as the Howard government did for Kosovar refugees in 1999 (Henderson 2015).

Assistant Treasurer John Frydenburg as supported this proposal.

“Maybe what John Howard did in 1999 with the Kosovars could be a bit of a guide for us. He took 4,000 at that time, some of those went home but he did provide a humanitarian response and shelter for people who were fleeing persecution,” he said (Henderson 2015).

With Immigration Minister Peter Dutton due to meet with the UN Commissioner for Refugees, it seems it is clear to all that the situation cannot be left as it is and that Australia needs to pledge more assistance and quickly.

REFERENCES
ABC News 2015, 'Tony Abbot says Australia will accept more Syria refugess but within current intake, Peter Dutton to travel to Geneva for UN talks on crisis', ABC News, 7 September, viewed 7 September 2015,  
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-06/abbott-vows-australia-will-help-syria-refugees/6753220

Henderson, A 2015, 'Prime Minister urged to consider reviving Howard era-style temporary visas to help Syrian refugees', ABC News, 7 September, viewed 7 September 2015, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-07/frydenberg-calls-for-one-off-refugee-increase/6754102

Martin S & Lewis R 2015, 'Abbott opens door to Syrian conflict refugees', The Australian, 7 September, p.1.