THE AUSTRALIANSEPTEMBER 9, 2015 9:1

THE AUSTRALIAN
SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 9:14AM
Rosie Lewis
Sarah Martin

Australia will accept 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq on permanent visas, a “generous” offer says Tony Abbott.

Read the ongoing story here or continue below with our pre-announcement coverage, which concluded with Labor’s Bill Shorten praising the government’s proposed intake.

Mr Shorten offered his bipartisan support to a one-off intake of Syrian refugees and said the government needed to “do it right first time”.

Speaking today before the government’s official announcement, the Opposition Leader said: “I would be really pleased if Mr Abbott hears the calls of people in the community, of people in his own ranks, of Labor, and together he says: ‘We can do more as a nation than we’re already doing’.”

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“I say to Mr Abbott: if you take more refugees above and beyond what was already scheduled to be taken, if you take 10,000 or 13,000, if you give them the chance to have safety in this country, then you’re doing what Australia should do. And I’m happy if you do that.


Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
“If we’re going to do the job of taking in refugees, let’s do it right. Let’s do it right first time. Let’s do it properly. Let’s not sort of be trying to cut corners or play any games. I think that’s what leadership requires.”

Mr Shorten called on Mr Abbott to reign in some of his “rogue” MPs like George Christensen, who yesterday criticised Labor’s proposal to bring in “tens of thousands of refugees”.

“They either take a job an Australian can do or they go on the dole,” the Nationals MP said in a statement.

Mr Shorten said: “We just need to stamp out that sort of ridiculous rubbish and call it for what it is.”

‘Generous’ would be 30,000


World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello.
Before today’s announcement, World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello said a “generous” response from Australia would be $144m in funding to the United Nation’s refugee agency this year and an intake of 30,000 Syrian refugees.

He wants a “non-discriminatory policy” where refugees from different minority groups are accepted based on need, not their religion.

“The government keeps saying we’ve been generous because we’ve given $150 million over the last four years,” Mr Costello said on ABC radio.

“But the global Syrian appeal figures show that Australia’s share is $144 million and we’ve only given $16 million, so it’s a huge jump.

“And that really is the big game changer because we’re running out of food. The conditions are desperate. People therefore are fleeing.”

Mr Costello said if Australia was to be “generous” like Germany, which expects to take in 800,000 refugees this year, we would need to accept about 215,000.

“On a per capita basis for Australia to be generous we’d increase our intake by 215,000. No one’s suggesting that,” he said.

“Generous, we would say, is 30,000. But that’s a very small number and it’s not really the main game.

“It’s actually giving people hope in the camps that they’re secure, they’re going to be fed, that they don’t need to flee - and above all, that one day if Russia and America and the allies actually say we’re going to demand a cessation of hostilities, then they can go back home.”

Australians will be ‘proud’ of response


Immigration Minister Peter Dutton
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says Australians will be “proud” of the Abbott government’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis.

Tony Abbott is expected to announce a two-pronged approach later today, including increased humanitarian places for Syrian refugees, giving priority to persecuted minorities, and extending RAAF airstrikes against Islamic State.

“I think people will see it as a generous offering on behalf of the Australian public. And I think people will be proud of what the government’s proposing,” Mr Dutton told ABC radio from Geneva, where he has met with United Nations officials.

“I think people will be impressed with Australia’s response. I’ve listened very closely to what the leaders have had to say here in Europe and I’ve taken that back to the Prime Minister, to the National Security Committee.

I think it’ll be a generous announcement, both in terms of the dollar amount and the number of places that we’ll be able to provide.”

Mr Dutton also said “extra additional financial support” for the millions of displaced people in camps in Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and northern Iraq was crucial.

“These are desperate people. And it’s not just about accommodation. It’s about food. It’s about education for young people as well,” he said.

“The UN, as well as IOM (International Organization for Migration), Red Cross, they’re all keen for additional funding. There’s no question about that.


“When Australia makes a pledge to provide financial support we provide that support. And there’s additional money that we can provide. And I think the Prime Minister will have more to say about that in the next 24 hours.”

Airstrikes, refugees call looms

Federal cabinet will meet this morning to approve a two-pronged response to the Syrian crisis by increasing Australia’s refugee intake, giving priority to persecuted minorities, and ­extending RAAF airstrikes against Islamic State.

The National Security Committee was last night briefed by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton after he met UN officials in Geneva, with a position to be taken to the full cabinet this morning.

“Australia will respond in a considered and measured way to ensure that we play our part in this international response,” Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Sky News last night.

The NSC briefing followed an hour-long discussion in the ­Coalition partyroom, where many MPs urged Tony Abbott to show a compassionate approach to the unfolding crisis, which has involved more than 11 million ­Syrian people being displaced or forced to flee their country.

But there was no consensus on the extent to which the government should act and the number of refugees it should ­accept. While some MPs said Australians who supported the tough “stop the boats” policy now wanted to help the refugees, others warned about the cost and difficulties of taking “too many”.

The Prime Minister told MPs that Australia would do more to help Syrian refugees, but the country must also protect its long-term interests and accept migrants who would contribute to society. Facing questions in parliament about the Coalition’s stalled response, Mr Abbott said the government needed time to consider the “complex and difficult situation”.

“We owe it to the human ­beings involved to make good and considered, as well as compassionate, decisions for their ­future,” he said. “We do need to be prudent; we do need to plan. We should not delay, but nevertheless we do need to be careful.”

Mr Abbott initially signalled Australia would take more refugees from Syria but that the total number of asylum-seekers ­accepted by the nation would not increase. However, there are growing expectations the government will accept a one-off ­increase in refugee numbers, possibly under “safe haven” visas that would allow refugees to eventually return to the homeland if the conflict is resolved.

Bill Shorten has called for Australia to immediately take 10,000 extra refugees, the Greens say it should be at least 20,000, independent MP Andrew Wilkie called for 30,000 and one Coalition MP, Ewen Jones, said the government should accept 50,000 refugees.

Europe announced a quota plan to resettle 120,000 refugees across the continent, with Germany, France and Spain to accept the bulk of resettlements.

In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain would resettle up to 20,000 Syrians from refugee camps in neighbouring countries over the next 4½ years but would not accept those who had already entered Europe.

It is possible Mr Abbott will call another partyroom meeting this morning to brief ministers on Australia’s response, which could ­include an increase in aid. In yesterday’s meeting 17 MPs spoke. Some Liberals said there had been a shift in community sentiment, with one saying the “heartbeat of the country” had changed, and that voters were expecting the government to do more.