Australian immigration department seeks more staff
by Mary Jones - September 17, 2010
Australia, 17th September: Chief of Australian immigration department is asking for increased staff from other government departments to cope with the soaring asylum seekers in Australia.
As per the reports, Andrew Metcalfe, the head of Department of Immigration, has sent a written request to the Department of Agriculture to provide workers for dealing with around 5000 asylum seekers being detained in Australia.
The rate of asylum seekers arriving in Australia has been increasing and this is calling urgently for additional staff to meet with the new requirements, Mr. Metcalfe had written.
The processing officers will be required to work in stressed environment for as long as 16 hours every day mostly on Christmas Island and in Curtin, WA (Western Australia). Also, the workers will have to live away from their families with co-workers and might be required to walk long distances to reach detention centers in Australia.
The fact that immigration department has asked for increased staff from other government departments in Australia is a significant proof that immigration detention system of Australia is in crisis, stated official spokesman for opposition immigration, Scott Morrison.
Mr. Morrison said that the soft immigration policies of Australia have resulted in the present crisis of labor in Australian immigration department.
The request for supplying additional staff to Australian immigration department is not just limited to the agriculture department of Australia, in fact, its being urged to Customs and Border Protection department in Australia to provide workers.
Replying to the demand of extra workers by Australian immigration department, Chris Bowen, Australia’s new immigration minister said action is being taken to provide the required staff. Mr. Bowen said that more workers are needed to process asylum seekers in Australia more quickly.
Stating the demand by Australia’s immigration department for extra workers as quite genuine and normal, Mr. Bowen said that the immigration department is under pressure.
As per the latest figures, around 6300 asylum seekers have arrived in Australia by boat in the period spanning last two years. And out of these, just 75 percent have been deported while remaining 25 percent still continue to live in Australia.
As per Mr. Bowen, the number of refused asylum claimants could be even higher.
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