By Jill Fraser
MELBOURNE
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s announcement of increased support for refugees was met with muted approval by aid agencies and Muslim groups Wednesday.
At a news conference in Canberra Wednesday, Abbott said Australia would take in an extra 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq and contribute 44 million Australian dollars ($31 million) to the UN’s refugee agency.
Abbott also confirmed Australia will step up the military campaign against Daesh by extending airstrikes from Iraq to Syria.
Australia is already committed to resettle 13,750 refugees this year, rising to 18,750 in 2018.
The Guardian newspaper said this would mean Australia accepting 25,750 migrants this year - the greatest number under its humanitarian program since 1951.
Australia will focus on “persecuted minorities” taking refuge in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. “I do want to stress women, children and families - the most vulnerable of all,” Abbott said.
The extra money will take Australia’s commitment to $230 million Australian dollars ($162 million) for Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
World Vision CEO Tim Costello told Anadolu Agency he was pleased with the government’s decision to provide additional places to refugees.
“This brings it up to close to 26,000,” he said. “We were calling for 30,000 so that’s good.”
In response to the focus on persecuted minorities, Costello said the policy must be “non-discriminatory based solely on need” - echoing concerns that Australia may focus on helping non-Muslim refugees.
Kuranda Seyit, of the Islamic Council of Victoria, offered a cautious welcome to the increased intake but said he would have liked to have seen more generosity from the government.
“Australia is a huge continent and one of the richest countries in the world,” he told Anadolu Agency. “We could easily assist more than just 12,000 people.”
He added: “We’re just worried about what the prime minister and some of the cabinet members have been saying about focusing on a minority. It’s imperative that we maintain a non-discriminatory, open and transparent process of welcoming Syrian refugees. We shouldn’t discriminate based on religion.”
Others focused on the news that Australia would commence bombing Daesh in Syria as well as Iraq.
Greens leader Richard di Natale and independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie headed a backlash against “illegal” air strikes over Syria.
“Dropping bombs on Syria will be illegal, ineffective and dangerous,” Wilkie said in a statement.
“The fact is that this will clearly be a breach of international law. These airstrikes are not at the invitation of the Syrian government and there is no United Nations imprimatur.”
Di Natale said Australia's Syrian mission would make a “bad situation worse”, creating further civilian casualties.
“We will ensure that the breeding ground for terrorism, for extremism, for fanaticism continues,” he said.
Rodger Shanahan, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, laughed when asked the point of extending airstrikes to Syria. “That’s the 60 million dollar question,” he said.
