The document provides an overview of international laws, conventions, and agencies related to refugees and asylum seekers. It discusses key terms like refugees, asylum seekers, people smuggling, and trafficking. It also summarizes UNHCR's mandate to protect and assist refugees, and outlines some of the major refugee crises and camps currently being addressed by UNHCR around the world. Finally, it discusses Australia's policies and processes for assessing asylum applications and detaining unauthorized arrivals.

1. Asylum Seekers Refugees People Smugglers Migrants Trafficking in Humans July 11 2009 (Compiled by Rosemary Grundy PBVM)

2. Global challenge

3. INTERNATIONAL LAW UNHCR UN Member States 194

9. The United Nations Refugee Agency is currently at work in over 110 countries, including some of the most dismal and poverty-stricken places on earth. UNHCR provides the basic needs of survival to more than 32.9million refugees and displaced people, who have fled from persecution and armed conflict, and are now living in desperate conditions. UNHCR

11. Convention: amended by the 1967 Protocol A refugee: Is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.

12. A Refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his/her nationality and is unable or unwilling, owing to such fear to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country.

13. The 1951 Convention : Referred to the protection of Displaced Persons who were unable or unwilling to return home following World War II The 1967 Protocol : Expanded to include protecting and providing humanitarian assistance to what it describes as other persons “of concern”, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) who would fit the legal definition of a refugee under the 1951 Convention

15. Catalysts for people movement seeking Asylum WAR & PERSECUTION

16. Religious and Political Persecution

20. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN

22. Afghani Refugees

23. Refugees strive to “normalise” life in the camps

24. IRAQ

25. IRAQI REFUGEES

26. Protests in Iran

27. ISRAELI / PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES CONFLICT

28. Gaza Conflict

29. Palestinian Refugee Camp with Israeli settlements in the background

30. Palestine – checkpoints Refugee Camp conditions

31. THAILAND

32. Hill County Refugee Camp - Thailand

33. 9 Border Camps along the Thai Border

34. Hill Country Border Camp, Thailand

35. Thai Border Camp

36. From the Refugee Camps To UNHCR in Bangkok

37. UNHCR in Bangkok Thailand has not ratified the Refugee Convention

38. “ Normalising” life in Thai Refugee Camps

39. Thai Military Management of Refugee Camps ID Cards issued Legal Centres established

40. Preparing for Voluntary Repatriation or Resettlement in a third country

41. Camp Life

44. African Continent 53 Countries 8 Territories

46. Plight of Child Soldiers

47. African Refugees

52. Ms Chol, who is studying for a business certificate, teaches computer skills to young Sudanese refugees. She was among 15 students who were awarded Scholarships yesterday in recognition of academic and community success. The regional representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Richard Towle, told award recipients that education was vital. "Education … is the critical building block for your own success, for your family's success and for your full integration and life in this country." cf Yuko Narushima SMH 16/6/09of STORIES Atuna Chol was forced to leave Sudan barefoot when she was nine. Carrying her two-month-old sister, she and her sick mother walked for weeks in the heat to Ethiopia before applying for asylum in the Congo. She lived in a Ugandan refugee camp before arriving in Australia in 2004. A comfort she now enjoys is a restful sleep, without fear of needing to flee during the night. "If you took your clothes off, you ran naked," she said. "It's so good here. I'm not thinking about where to run or what to do.

54. A refugee is a person who flees to escape conflict, persecution or natural disaster. Owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country

67. Appeals to the International Community are proceeding slowly

78. Location of Embassies Africa - CAIRO - distance from African War Zones – Asylum seekers required to cross several national borders Thailand - BANGKOK - Considerable distance from Hill Tribe areas and from Myanmar (Burma) Afghanistan - KABUL - Australian Embassy, Afghanistan The Australian Embassy in Kabul has been closed to the public since 16 October 2007 due to security concerns Israel - TEL AVIV - Palestinians would need to get through Israeli army checkpoints.

79. UN SETTLEMENT OFFICE

81. PEOPLE SMUGGLERS 232A Organising bringing groups of non‑citizens into Australia A person who: (a) organises or facilitates the bringing or coming to Australia, or the entry or proposed entry into Australia, of a group of 5 or more people to whom subsection 42(1) applies; and (b) does so reckless as to whether the people had, or have, a lawful right to come to Australia; is guilty of an offence punishable, on conviction, by imprisonment for 20 years or 2,000 penalty units, or both. Note: Sections 233B and 233C limit conviction and sentencing options for offences under this section Migration Act 1958

90. Christmas Island – remote closer to Indonesia than to the Australian mainland Access by lawyers and support people difficult and expensive costly to the Australian people

94. March 2006 - The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee said it was a serious injustice to charge people for the cost of detention – “ It is an extremely harsh policy and one that is likely to cause significant hardship to a large number of people” April 2008 - The Commonwealth Ombudsman – “ The size of some debts cause stress, anxiety and financial hardship to many individuals who are now living lawfully in the Australian community, as well as those who have left Australia.” March 2009 - The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, intro- duced a Bill to abolish the unjust and ineffective detention debt regime imposed on Immigration detainees. The Migration Amendment (Abolishing Detention Debt) Bill 2009 will also waive all existing debts for current and former detainees, but there will be no refunds to debts already paid. June 2009 – The Migration Amendment (Abolishing Detention Debt) Bill 2009 was Passed through the House of Representatives. August 2009 - The Migration Amendment (Abolishing Detention Debt) Bill 2004 will be debated in the Senate.

95. Racism Irony

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