Temporary protection of refugees: Australian policy and international comparisons

The introduction of the TPV in October 1999 created a situation of open discrimination against TPV holders who were specifically excluded from a range of key settlement services. These exclusions have resulted in considerable levels of anguish and hardship for already traumatised asylum seekers, and placed considerable strain on state-funded agencies and community-run services. Separate studies by Mann (2001), and Mansouri & Bagdas (2002) found that the TPV policy has effectively created two classes of refugees; those who were assessed off-shore and granted full settlement services and permanent protection visas (PPV), and those assessed on-shore and granted temporary protection visa with no family reunion and a punitively reduced access to settlement services. As a result, the TPV policy created uncertainty, insecurity, isolation, confusion, a sense of powerlessness and health problems among this class of asylum seekers. In 2001, the Federal Government proceeded to further erode the rights of refugees in Australia by introducing a host of new legislative amendments aimed at making Australia 'less attractive' to potential asylum seekers.