Humanitarian migrants from Somalia and two other countries have been excluded from Australia’s Refugee Resettlement Programs which supports refugees in Africa, Asia countries.
Over hundred of Somali refugees drawn from the refugee camps in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia were resettled in Australia through the resettlement program which was launched 2013.
Quoting sources, The Guardian, a British Daily Newspaper said South Sudan, Somalia and Iran, are now excluded and will not be able to access the program.
“The Guardian understands the priority countries are: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Syria and Iraq. Nationals of several other specific countries that were previously considered for resettlement, such as South Sudan, Somalia and Iran, are now excluded and will not be able to access the program,” The Guardian wrote on its Newspaper published on 4th of this month.
The Program which dubbed Community Support Program which was initiated in 2013 was previously the Community Proposal Pilot.
It allows community groups, businesses, families or individuals to sponsor and support a refugee to come to Australia. But each privately sponsored place reduces by one the government’s resettlement commitment.
The guidelines of the Program do not clearly specify and indicate any restrict nationalities as well as rule and regulations to be applied for the restrictions.
“Applicants must reside in a priority resettlement country as determined by the Australian government,” the guidelines of the department.
Some of sponsoring organizations told the Paper that they have been informed of an “unofficial list” of countries of origin from which people will be considered for resettlement under the CSP.
The Spokesman for the Department of Home Affairs said that settlement priorities for Australia’s humanitarian program is determined the government of Australia.
“People in humanitarian situations from the Middle East, Africa and Asia continue to be a resettlement priority under Australia’s 2017-18 humanitarian program.” he told The Guardian.
Community Support Program is one element of Australia’s broader humanitarian program, which, this year, offers up to 1,000 places, taken from within the broader program of 16,250 places.
Over half million Somalis have fled the country during the civil war which broke out in 1990s.
Through UNHCR resettlement programs, thousands of Somali refugees were relocated in countries out the continent especially European countries and United States of America.
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