Asylum Seekers Now Need Permission From The Government Before They Can Have Pets
"An arbitrary attack on fairness, dignity and respect."
Every day, this country seems to find surprisingly cruel new ways to make the lives of people seeking asylum living hell. In the latest development in this shitty saga, asylum seekers living in Australia now need the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s permission to get a pet, according to leaked departmental guidelines.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald the guidelines were apparently issued in August, and apply to asylum seekers living in Australia and receiving financial support from the government. There are thousands of asylum seekers currently in Australia waiting for their asylum claims to be processed. It’s unclear whether those who already had pets before the guideline was issued will have to now seek permission to continue having those pets.
“Approval for pet ownership must be sought from both the department and the landlord before a pet is purchased,” the Status Resolution Support Services Operational Procedures Manual, obtained by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, reads. “In some cases, recipients may be required to provide evidence to demonstrate that they can cover the costs involved in pet ownership.”
Advocates for asylum seekers have slammed the new rule as yet another example of arbitrary and unfair levels of control exercised over asylum seekers by the government.
Is there some section in Border Protection where they sit around all day creatively dreaming up new cruelty to heap upon refugees ? https://t.co/dJjZi2fnUO
— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) October 20, 2017
“This is another terrifying display of arbitrary powers to decide the rights of people seeking asylum, this time their freedom to own a pet and the ability to take of care of their pet’s health,” the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s Director of Campaigns Jana Favero said in a statement earlier today.
The ASRC also cited the advice of veterinarians, who point out that animal companionship can be a “huge source of support and motivation” for “people struggling in life, especially those with few family and friends”. The ASRC have also launched a petition in support of asylum seekers’ rights to own pets, which has reached almost 1000 signatures in less than a day.
People seeking asylum have lost the freedom to own a pet by the Turnbull government in an arbitrary attack on fairness, dignity and respect.
Sign our petition to give back this basic right to the compansionship of a pet: https://t.co/Qj0YqSaE2t pic.twitter.com/jMobCisWMd
— ASRC (@ASRC1) October 20, 2017
The Department of Immigration, meanwhile, told The Sydney Morning Herald that the guideline was not actually new, but merely a clarification of existing policy issued in response to repeated queries. Pretty cold comfort for Asylum seekers being denied their rights.
You can sign the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s petition here.