David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis, representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister inform the Senate of the government's response to the European migration crisis and the movement of people fleeing the conflict in Syria and Iraq?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much indeed, Senator Fawcett. That is a very important question. Senator Fawcett, I can advise the Senate that the Prime Minister announced a short while ago that cabinet has decided that Australia will resettle an additional 12,000 refugees who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Our focus will be on those most in need—women, children and families of persecuted minorities who have sought refuge from the conflict in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

A team of government officials will depart for the region as soon as possible to begin identifying and processing potential candidates for resettlement. I should stress that these are permanent places. In addition to that, Australia will provide humanitarian support to more than 240,000 Syrian and Iraqi people who have been forced to flee their homes or seek refuge in neighbouring countries. That will cost approximately $44 million. With this additional commitment, Australia's contribution to help redress the humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq will be around $230 million since 2011.

Today's announcement represents a significant contribution to the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. It is, I believe, a decision of which all Australians can be very proud. It is a decision which is in the great Australian tradition of accepting genuine refugees and being generous to those in crisis. Just as a generation ago, the Fraser government accepted thousands of refugees from Vietnam and gave them a new life in Australia, this government has decided to accept 12,000 Syrians.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Senate how these measures complement Australia's existing efforts?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I can, Senator Fawcett. The humanitarian assistance to Syria and Iraq is an aspect of the consequences of the rise of Daesh and Australia's determination to deal with all of the consequences of Daesh across a range of fronts. I have spoken about the humanitarian decision that we have made, which I hope all sides of this chamber will welcome, but there is a harder-edged military response as well, because we must defeat and degrade Daesh in Syria and Iraq. With the additional commitment, as I said before, Australia's humanitarian contribution in terms of financial assistance will have been $230 million. In terms of places, the 12,000 places are in addition to the existing 13,750 places under the existing humanitarian program.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Senate how Australia's commitment compares with the humanitarian assistance being provided by other countries?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes I can, Senator Fawcett. European nations, which in the last 48 hours have announced their responses to this crisis, are making substantial contributions as well. For example, the United Kingdom, with its population almost three times that of Australia, will be taking 20,000 people. France has announced that it will be taking 24,000 people, again, with a population almost three times the size of ours. Australia will be taking 12,000 people in addition to our existing humanitarian programs and every one of them will be a permanent settler. In the political fury of the debate about border protection and refugee policy, I think it is a great pity that there is one fact that is often overlooked or deliberately neglected and that is, when it comes to resettlement, Australia is, per capita, the most generous nation in the entire world.