Leahy, Mary and Bertone, Santina (2002) Raising the Barriers or Investing in our Future? In: VCOSS Social Policy Conference: proceedings. Victorian Council of Social Service, Victoria.

Abstract

Australia's harsh treatment of asylum seekers has been rightly identified as immoral and counterproductive by activists, NGOs and some public figures. However, less attention has been paid to the federal government's approach to other new arrivals nor to the links been underpinning attitudes towards the nominally welcomed and the unauthorised. There is limited public awareness of the extent to which support systems for new migrants have been dismantled in recent years. One major change for nonhumanitarian migrants has been the introduction of a two-year non-eligibility period for almost all social security benefits, most HECS and government funded education and training places, and intensive employment search assistance. Based on research into the impact of the two-year waiting period policy, this paper analyses the values and fantasies underpinning current federal government migration and refugee policy. It also proposes alternatives policies which will start

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