Global Connections – Migration

Australians are now more globally connected with people overseas through migration and overseas travel for work or holidays. Almost 4,940,600 Australians travelled overseas in 2006 for short trips of three months or less.  Australia is also an attractive tourist destination for people overseas. However, Australia is also an attractive place for asylum seekers to travel to in the hope of finding refuge.

 An asylum seeker is someone who has fled their own country and applies to the government of another country for protection as a refugee. According to the United Nations Convention and Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees (the Refugee Convention), a refugee is someone who is outside their own country and cannot return due to a well-founded fear of persecution because of their:

  • race
  • religion
  • nationality
  • membership of a particular social group
  • political opinion.

The term ‘asylum seekers’ refers to all people who apply for refugee protection, whether or not they are officially determined to be refugees.

Both the Labour and Liberal Parties have developed policies to manage this situation. It has been a major issue in the current Federal Election. View the ABC Midday report back in June of this year. Click the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb3NIhKO4BM

If you had a say in what should happen with all the asylum seekers that come via boat what would would you do. Would you accept them all? Use the Values Based Decision Making Process to write questions you would need to ask yourself in order to make a fair and appropriate decision. Make a recommendation at the end.

PRUDENCE: Right judgements in what we must do or not do.

What questions do you need to ask yourself in relation to Prudence?

JUSTICE: Justice involves right judgements in relation to others.

What questions do you need to ask yourself in relation to Justice?

FORTITUDE: To do what is right despite any difficulty.

What questions do you need to ask yourself in relation to Fortitude?

TEMPERANCE: To be able to moderate our desires and avoid influences that may not be honourable.

What questions do you need to ask yourself in relation to Temperance?

RECOMMENDATION: What recommendation would you make in this situation?