Right to work, education and language
It is essential that asylum seekers be given the right to work. The journey to find protection does not suddenly end once asylum seekers have left the immediate conflict zone. All of us need the ongoing protection of work to provide for our basic needs. Access to health care, education, even food and shelter all extend from being able to find work and provide for one’s family. Without the right to work, very soon asylum seekers find they are in desperate need of protection from destitution and poverty. It is also essential asylum seekers be given the opportunity to learn English and further their education so that they can actively participate and engage in the Australian workforce and way of life.
Family reunion
Forced migration is notorious for separating families and loved ones. Often asylum seekers and refugees cannot begin to rebuild their lives while they constantly fear for the safety of their family and those they have left behind. Each of us has the right to live with our own family and this right should be extended to those seeking asylum. The Catholic Church teaches that every nation has a duty to protect the family unit from marginalisation, disintegration and to provide the necessary social services to empower each family to live a peaceful and dignified life together. ACMRO advocates for all refugees to have access to timely family reunion opportunities.
Multicultural policy
Successive Australian governments have pursued multiculturalism since the 1970s. This policy was carefully designed, based on fundamental principles such as social cohesion, equality of opportunity and access, freedom to maintain one's own cultural identity coupled with the duty to share responsibility for, commitment to and participation in Australia's society. Multiculturalism is not simply a diverse population but rather a deliberate policy of national integration which requires constant management and maintenance. How Australia treats asylum seekers speaks volumes about how much we respect diversity and the lives of others in our own society. ACMRO advocates that asylum seekers be treated compassionately as an important part of maintaining Australia's social cohesion and multicultural integrity.