UNIT 4 AOS 1 PM ETHICAL DEBATE

Question 1

Obligations to asylum seekers and other refugees versus national interests including border security

Differing approaches regarding refugee resettlement

Answer 1

Germany’s response to the EU migrant crisis (cosmopolitanism):
Details:
- “Germany is a country that puts the dignity of every single human being at the centre of things” – Angela Merkel (chancellor of regime)
- Merkel’s famous statement, “Wir schaffen das” (“We can do this”), signified Germany’s commitment to providing refuge to those fleeing conflict and persecution
- “Open door policy” – unrestricted number of asylum applications received by the state
- Over 800 000 asylum applications accepted with 60 percent of those claims being accepted
- Over 20 billion euros invested in support for these refugees – housing, education, employment, protection, security
- The Skilled Workers Immigration Act, which came into effect in March 2020, facilitated the entry of qualified professionals from non-EU countries, addressing labour shortages in various sectors such as healthcare and engineering.

Effectiveness:
- Cost of entire program and support cost 20 million euros
- Public support of the refugees fell by below 46% according to poll in 2016
- However, by 2016/17, anger among German voters surged over the influx of refugees, especially following extensive media coverage of crimes committed by asylum seekers. Notably, in 2016, a jihadist failed asylum seeker carried out an attack at the Berlin Christmas market. This event contributed to a rise in right-wing political presence and an increase in racial and political hate crimes, with refugees being targeted and left-wing politicians facing attacks.

Details:
- The mandatory resettlement quota challenged the state sovereignty of Hungary as it infringed the state’s right to border control and immigration policy
- “Muslim invaders” – President Victor Orban
- 106 million USD to erect 4m high, 110-mile-long anti-immigration border fencing along the southern regions of Hungary that meet Serbia and Croatia to hinder crossing
- Hungary averaged 2 refugees that found asylum within its nation per day during the crisis
- Challenged state security, economic stability, and caused cultural and religious clashing – fear of Muslims negatively impacting the predominant Christian demographic
- 98 percent of public votes in favour of obstructing refugee acceptance

Effectiveness:
- Despite significantly fewer refugees being accepted, the murder rates in Hungary continued to rise, from 2.26 per 100 000 to over 2.5 in 2017
- Despite doing all this to prevent the exacerbation of economic strife and increased terror, the economic stability and security indeed continued to deteriorate showing the ineffectiveness of their response
- The border walls built as a part of the initiative against asylum seekers cost an approximate 106 million USD

Question 2

The rights of refugees versus economic migrants

Answer 2

Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) Australian Migration Policy – (2013 – Present) (realist):
Details:
- In 2013, the Abbott government campaigned on a ‘Stop the Boats’ platform, leading to the implementation of Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) in September 2013. This initiative enforced a zero-tolerance policy for unauthorized boat arrivals, stating that anyone attempting to reach Australia by boat would be turned back, sent to their home country, or transferred to a third country for processing. The Australian Customs Service was renamed the ‘Australian Border Force’ to emphasize a militarized approach to border protection.
- The Border Force Act made it a criminal offense, punishable by up to two years in prison, to disclose information about offshore detention centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Additionally, a 2016 amendment to the Migration Act prevented asylum seekers arriving by boat from ever obtaining a visa to enter Australia, regardless of whether they found asylum elsewhere.
- While there were 20,587 boat arrivals in 2013, there were none from 2014 to 2023. Under Australian law, entering without authorization to seek asylum is not a crime, and Article 31 of the Refugee Convention states that refugees should not be penalized for arriving without travel documents. However, a March 2015 UN report found that Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers violated the UN Convention Against Torture due to indefinite detention on Manus Island and Nauru, harsh conditions in detention centres, frequent violence, and a failure to protect vulnerable individuals.

Economic migrants:
- Emphasizing the entry of economic migrants based on the nation’s needs. The government implements a points-based immigration system that assesses economic migrants on criteria such as skills, work experience, and language proficiency. This system aims to attract individuals who can contribute economically to the country

Refugees:
- Australia’s approach to refugees includes strict border protection measures, such as the offshore processing of asylum seekers. Refugees arriving by boat are often sent to detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island, regardless of their skills or qualifications or deported completely
Can be used for:
- Rights of refugees versus economic migrant (realist primarily)