Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to speak about the consequences and the fallout from this government's irrational decision to leave lingering in perpetuity a large number of refugees on temporary protection visas and the safe haven enterprise visas. It is without doubt a short-sighted policy framework that not only ignores the seriousness of the international movement of people in search of refuge and humanitarian settlement, but also denies the vast potential for Australia to build on the wealth opportunity presented to us by the people seeking refuge in our country.

It is vital to reflect on this issue now because we are presented with choices locally and examples globally of the significant potential that these harsh policies continue to deny us. We can no longer ignore the fact that this government's temporary protection visa scheme is creating an underclass that discredits us as a country and denies our sense of community. It's a blight on the proud contribution refugees have made to the building of modern Australia, bringing their talents, hard work, skills and ingenuity, and adding them to our nation-building and advancing Australia. Today we have a significant number of refugees who, simply by their method of arrival in Australia, are denied permanent settlement as a lesson by this government that is willing to punish innocent people in order to discourage others. It's a cruel and short-sighted policy. It's a policy that denies us the opportunity to benefit from all the untapped skills critical to our economy at a time when skills and labour shortages are becoming an increasing threat to our economic growth.

In recent inquiries of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration into migration in regional Australia and into our working holiday maker program—and, indeed, in the current inquiry into our skilled migration program—the evidence put before us has been very clear. We are pressed by stakeholders to act with urgency and are asked to be bold and resourceful in addressing the labour and skills shortages of workers in regional Australia as well as across a range of sectors in the economy. Refugees on TPVs and SHEVs, all of whom seek opportunities for safety and in return want to make a contribution, have a lot to offer across the broad spectrum of the economy. Community groups and many in my community can see not only the injustice of the situation but also the untapped potential denied to Australia. The Refugee Council of Australia in a submission to the committee suggested we address our regional labour shortages by giving TPV and SHEV holders realistic pathways to permanent residency—sensible proposals that are being ignored by this government.

While we speak of ourselves as a country that leads on services relating to migration and refugee settlement, which is of course true, we need to reflect on how comparable countries have responded to the movement of people and heed some of their lessons. In 2017, 68.5 million people were forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict or violence worldwide. In that year, Australia settled 16,250 of these displaced persons under our humanitarian program. In contrast, Germany's refugee intake was 328,385. Between the years 2014 to 2020, the number of refugees resettled in Germany totalled over 1.2 million people. In Australia, however, the number of visas granted under our own program was 101,465. On a case basis, what Germany settled in the last six years took Australia nearly 60 years to do. I mention Germany not only as a comparable nation but one which has firmly cemented its place as Europe's leading economy and growth engine. When headlines and politicians across Europe evoked fear of, and hostility towards, refugees, the sense of purpose and resolve was eloquently expressed by Chancellor Angela Merkel when she said: 'I put it simply—Germany is a strong country. The sky did not fall in Berlin or Bavaria. On the contrary.' She understood all too well the opportunities a humanitarian refugee would deliver for Germany; instead of punishment, she saw boldness.

You would be hard pressed to find any one of Germany's entrepreneurial start-ups or innovation hubs that isn't powered by software developers, tech geniuses or professionals who have come to Germany as refugees, or filling gaps in areas of care—very much needed in Australia on the back of the gross neglect in our own system identified by the royal commission into aged care. Against numbers which dwarf our own, Germany stood undeterred by fearmongering and instead went for the opportunities. We too should grab hold of our own opportunities and be bold. This reality exposes a delusional argument around labour supply and aggregate demand, with our own Productivity Commission insisting that the concept of job displacement is partly a manifestation of a fallacy that there is a fixed number of jobs in the economy. It supports economic modelling including Deloitte Access Economics report on the economic and social impact of increasing Australia's humanitarian intake. Modelling suggests that if Australia increased its humanitarian migrant intake to 44,000 per annum over a five-year period, economic output could increase by more than $37.7 billion in net present value terms over the next 50 years and the economy could sustain an additional 35,000 full-time jobs every year for the next 50 years.

Some of this human potential is already among us in my electorate, and in our communities, schools and sports clubs. They are part of the social and economic fabric of our communities. They have grown up here, were schooled here and have trained others yet they are forced to live parallel lives to the rest of us, temporary lives. Despite their children growing up and spending most of their formative years in our community alongside other Australian children, theirs is a life of waiting for an outcome, of living in limbo on the temporary or the so-called bridging visas and of living in fear of being asked to leave to go back to the places they have fled. In some cases these bridging visas are a decade long. At a time when we're trying to compete with the rest of the world to attract the best and brightest to this country, overlooking the possibilities amongst TPV and CHEV holders speaks of madness.

I want to share some of the stories of the people in my electorate who offer us those amazing possibilities. The Kashani family arrived in Australia in 2013 from Iran. Mum and dad have worked for most of their time here while raising their two children, Mohammed aged 11 and Atena aged 17. Their youngest, Mohammed, started his formal education in Australia and his dominant language is English. Atena is a gifted student in her first year at Roxburgh College. The family remains without a substantial visa status, having been on temporary visas since arriving. Meanwhile, Atena's resolve and sense of purpose has seen her excel as a sports person. Atena is a seven-time champion of Victoria and three time Australian national champion. She has come first in the Arnold Classic Taekwondo Championship Tournament three times, and one day hopes to compete in the Olympics representing Australia. Disheartening for anyone, Atena missed out on opportunities to travel overseas and compete in international tournaments, not on merit, but because of a visa status that denies her the opportunity to be a permanent resident in Australia. Imagine the making of an Australian champion and the possibility of this not being realised because of this government's temporary protection visa policy. Atena and Mohammed must also contend with barriers to university enrolment once completing school. They will be expected to pay full fees similar to international students.

Enrolling in university as a bridging visa holder is something Francis in my electorate is having to contend with. Francis arrived from Sierra Leone when he was in grade 6. Francis has grown up alongside other Australian children with English now his dominant language. When Francis approached VCE, he was asked by his teachers to think about what he might like to do with his life and what goals he would wish to attain. But because of his visa status, he is not entitled to access the Higher Education Loan Program, so he's required to pay almost triple the amount of his classmates and almost always up-front in the same way as an international student. Francis has recently signed up to do the relevant certificate to lead him to a pathway into civil engineering. When I asked him whether he'd paid up for his diploma, he said he had no choice because he needs to keep moving with his life and to fulfil his ambitions, even though he lives in this country on a temporary visa. There are countless examples of refugees and children of refugees who are in very similar circumstances. They stand testament to the denial of the opportunities for this country that I've spoken about today. In the face of this undeniable reality, our TPV and SHEV regimes are ridiculous and spiteful, serve no purpose in the Australia of the 21st century and should be abandoned.