Australia: Information on Australian laws regarding immigration, citizenship and the seeking of refugee status for Lebanese citizens

No specific information regarding Australian laws pertaining to the immigration of, or granting of refugee status to Lebanese citizens is presently available to the IRBDC. However, Australia has been one of the most important receiving countries for immigration in the past century (along with the United States, Canada, and New Zealand). [ Hurst Hannum, The Right to Leave and Return in International Law and Practice, Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1987, p. 82.] A large number of immigrants from the Middle East were reportedly admitted during the 1960s. [ The Far East and Australasia, p. 186.] In mid-1985, Australia implemented a multiculturalism programme, and refugees who have needed skills or are part of a family reunification scheme are now accepted with concomitant migrant-support and language-training programmes as needed. [ The Far East and Australasia, p. 186.] For a discussion on the problems non-whites have faced when integrating into Australian society, please refer to the attached pages from The Far East and Australasia.

The "Racial Discrimination Act of 1975 prohibits discrimination on grounds of race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin", but in practice, Aboriginal groups and others claim that there is widespread discrimination. [ U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1989), p. 733.]

Australian immigration policies were revised and new policies went into effect in May 1989. [ The following information is from the Australian High Commission, (Immigration officer), 18 August 1989.] independent; concessional family (sponsorship); preferential (fiances or spouses); employer nomination, etc. There are quotas within each category, and different portions of the revised "points test" are emphasized. For example, someone applying under an independent category must now reach a priority pass point level of 110 points (it used to be 80 points), in the categories of "employability, skills, english-language skills, age," etc. Country or region of origin or residence is not a factor. [ Australian High Commission office.] Persons applying under the concessional family category will be evaluated in other areas, including the relationship and where they will be living in Australia. With the new changes to Australian Immigration Policy, it is going to be more difficult for people to qualify to immigrate than it was under the old policies.

Recent information on the refugee determination policies in Australia is not presently available to the IRBDC. The Australian High Commission does not handle refugee applications in Canada; the closest offices with information on the refugee determination process are in Mexico City and in Santiago, Chile. In the Report of the Committee to Advise on Australia's Immigration Policies (CAAIP), one of the proposed changes to the Refugee/Humanitarian programme, was to "seek to create greater program flexibility by removing the notion of regional quotas or targets". [ Report of the Committee to Advise on Australia's Immigration Policies (CAAIP), CAAIP report Questions and Answers, (1988) p. 4] The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee annually produces a paper for the General Assembly on the refugee determination procedures for individual countries. The paper covering 1988 should be available within the next few weeks. [Reference number in the United Nations Documentation system : A/AC.96/INF.152/Rev.8].

Please find part of the Report of the Committee to Advise on Australia's Immigration Policies, (Information Kit), which addresses some of the issues influencing the changes to Immigration policies. Although this is not the actual policy, it gives an indication of Australian priorities in immigration policy and refugee determination.

In addition, a copy of Refugees - Determination of Status Notes for Guidance of [Australian] Interviewing Officers is attached. However, it is important to note that this is an old document, which may not reflect current refugee determination practices of the Australian government.