Trading in refugees

The refugee swap is a strange addition to the already complicated systems in place for people seeking protection in Australia and the United States. The bizarre arrangement where refugees are shipped from country to country will only add to the uncertainty faced by people fleeing persecution and deny them agency over their lives.

There is the additional danger that under the arrangement, vulnerable peoples may be left without protection and the responsibility for their care may become more and more difficult to enforce.

The United States and Australia are interested in the arrangement because it may deter people from seeking protection in their country. However, the arrangement is unlikely to discourage people who know that the prospect of safety in Australia or the US is better than a life of maltreatment in their home country.

In fact, there are reports that the number of Haitians attempting to reach the United States has increased following the announcement of the refugee swap. In March 2007, there were only five reported cases of Haitians intercepted by US coastguards. Following the announcement in April, more than 700 Haitians have risked their life to travel without valid documentation to the United States.

According to media reports Haitians interviewed have given the prospect of protection in Australia as a reason for their journey to the United States. The prospect of protection in the United States is also unlikely to deter refugees and asylum seekers who would otherwise seek the protection of Australia.

The arrangement between Australia and the United States, which allows for the exchange of human beings as if they were commodities, will not be reviewed until April 2009. We wait with baited breath to see the next strange twist of this sorry saga.