World Refugee Day – Join the conversation

By Efrosini Costa

World Refugee Day – Join the conversation
Join the conversation with us this World Refugee Day - June 20 - as we uncover the facts about asylum seekers and refugees in Australia.

Join MiNDFOOD in a virtual discussion with Sara Saleh @SaraAmnestyOz from Amnesty International @AmnestyOz for World Refugee Day. We will be discussing refugees and asylum seekers,  myths and misconceptions, government policy and solutions on our Twitter page @mindfood_mag this Friday from 12.30-1.30pm. So bring an open mind and your questions and let’s help raise real awareness about the plight of millions of refugees worldwide.

World Refugee Day, on June 20, aims to raise awareness of the situation of refugees around the globe.

The day is marked by a variety of events in more than 100 countries, as a means of drawing attention to the plight of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict and persecution. Australia extends its activity to Refugee Week, held Sunday June 15 to Saturday June 21, with a theme in 2014 of Restoring Hope – a reminder that while a refugee’s journey begins with danger, it also begins with hope.

According to Amnesty international, public debate in Australia about asylum seekers and the right of refugees has been distorted by myths and misconceptions.

“Current government policy is shaped by around border protection concerns, and the idea that asylum seekers are “breaking the rules”. The result has been asylum seeker policy that is ineffective, inefficient, inhumane, and in many cases in violation of international human rights law,” the organisation says.

The Refugee Council of Australia agrees: “Myths create confusion and can fuel conflict, resentment and disharmony.”

At MiNDFOOD we decided to test our own knowledge when it comes to asylum seekers and refugees and we would like you to test your understanding too.

So why not give it a go? Below you will find some of the common perceptions about asylum seekers and refugees:

“Asylum seekers who arrive by boat are illegals.”

“Australia is being swamped by asylum seekers.”

“Asylum seekers take places away from refugees who are waiting patiently for resettlement overseas.”

“Asylum seekers who arrive by boat are a security threat. They could be criminals or terrorists.”

“Australia takes more than its fair share of refugees.”

“Refugees and asylum seekers receive higher social security payments than Australians”

“Refugees don’t contribute to Australian society in any meaningful way.”

Try and determine which are true or false and then click here to go through get the answers to our mythbuster quiz.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Print Recipe

BECOME A MiNDFOOD SUBSCRIBER TODAY

Let us keep you up to date with our weekly MiNDFOOD e-newsletters which include the weekly menu plan, health and news updates or tempt your taste buds with the MiNDFOOD Daily Recipe. 

Member Login