The Principle of Common Good in Relation to the Global Issue
Migration of the humans is not a contemporary phenomenon. Migratory activities in human beings are ancient, rather prehistoric. Throughout the annals of history and prehistory of mankind, humans have been moving from one place to the other in search of food, shelter and better conditions (Wang, 2018). However, the contemporary world seems to have a distorted and grotesque version of human migration which results in abhorrence towards the “refugees”. The respective paper provides an account of the problems the Syrian refugees might be facing in Australia and how such issues can be combated.
Common good is considered to be important as it is the sole idea or approach that takes the responsibility of the people living in the society and especially, people belonging to a particular community. Common good looks out to see whether all individuals in the society are given their rights and respect or not. Common good plays a very vital role in providing asylum, physical and mental support to the refugees who are evacuated from their settlements and are forced to search for refuge, asylum and another settlement in a completely different country. Thereby, chances of getting estranged and alienated are high among them. In such cases, principles of common good need to be exhibited.
I had received the golden opportunity to work for the betterment and improvement of the Syrian refugee population in the suburban areas of the big cities of Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne and Perth for the past 3 years. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has called the Syrian conflict to be the “biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time” (Betts, Loescher & Milner, 2013). More than five million Syrians have crossed international borders and are registered as refugees. In September 2015, the Australian government agreed to provide asylum and resettlement to 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees with an addition to the existing humanitarian intake (McAdam, 2013). Throughout my work, the experience that I have gathered is rich but the most prolific experience that I had was the responsibility I got of a Syrian family of five members that included husband- wife, a daughter and two sons. The mentioned family had fled from Syria and arrived Australia to resettle and by witnessing and experiencing various forms of violence, including physical, mental and sexual, facing numerous physical and psychological ailments. However, a peculiarity that was seen among the Syrian family was that despite of them knowing that they are facing physical and psychological ailments, they are reluctant to avail medical help for psychological issues, if not physical issues. It might be because the eastern countries have taboo associated with mental health (Slewa-Younan et al., 2014).
Critically Analyzing the Issue of Shared Responsibility for the Common Good Not Being Realized
The Australian government should see to it that the Syrian refugees get the medical aid and help they deserve. There are a colossal number of Syrian refugees who have experienced or witnessed some kind of violence or the other. It has been estimated that Syrian refugees, including children, adolescents and women are at a high risk in facing issues such as sexual violence, sodomy, unusual and unnatural sexual crimes and rapes (including gang rapes and drugged rapes). The young and minor girl children are vulnerable because they are at a high risk of getting themselves enrolled in prostitution and other immoral acts in order to satiate their hunger and survive in the situation. Forced prostitution and such sexual violence has already brought the vulnerable and marginalized refugees with plethora of STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) which includes Syphilis, unwanted pregnancy and HIV AIDS. Unsurprisingly, mental trauma is also associated with the refugees (Yazgan, Utku & Sirkeci, 2015). Mental trauma, however, affects the larger number of Syrians whether forcibly displaced or not. It has been estimated that throughout the world, wherever the Syrian refugees have seek refuge or asylum, they have faced psychological issues. Turkish authorities have reported 55% of Syrian refugees needing psychological services and nearly and half of the families think that they need psychological support. However, the The Australian government needs to take the health of the Syrian population seriously, both physical and mental. It is important to know that even though the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) refers to numerous people for resettlement to the country like Australia, the ultimate decision for providing resettlement opportunities is vested on the Immigration Department of Australia (Karlsen, 2016). Even if the perception of “resettlement” is considered to be the righteous way of seeking protection, yet it has been termed “misguided” because the countries like Australia are not legally obligated to accept the refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention or any other international convention or protocol (McAdam, 2013). These are certain matters due to which many refugees face problems in the land of Australia in order to get resettled, get hold of a job for earning bread and living respectfully. Australia has instances of racism as well, not only outside but also in the workplaces. The refugees face racist slurs when they go for availing any kind of services that Australia provides. The family which I had been dealing also faced the similar issues which is why they have lost hope and trust in the government and the in the general society altogether. The children seem to suffer from acute depression along with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and they are not even attended properly.
Proposing ways of Addressing the Challenge with Reference to Advocacy and Community Engagement
Australian government can take innovative and progressive steps in order to help out the Syrian refugees from the physical and mental agony and trauma they are facing since the devastation of the war started. Refugees arriving under the Commonwealth Humanitarian Program in Australia have the rights to access to healthcare through public health system and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (Phillips, 2015). Even though the Refugee Health Service (RHS) which is situated in Adelaide, Australia has helped in providing basic care to the immigrants, however, there are gaps present in the processes. Due to gap in communication between the refugees and Australian public, many refugees do not avail for the service. To tackle such problems, Australia can take numerous steps as proposed hereafter. To treat the children (boys and girls) for their physical and psychological ailments, the Australian government should immediately hire and recruit Community Health Workers (CHW) who would be ready to sacrifice their lives and enjoyment and engage in emancipating the Syrian children who are brutalized and agonized in the refugee camps. The Community Health Workers should be dedicated professionals who would understand the seriousness of the situation and act accordingly with equal responsibility and accountability. The government can hire different pedagogical experts who might provide the children with painting, music and academic classes to take them into normalcy and reduce stress among them. As far as women are concerned, who seemed to be most brutalized and marginalized, must be provided the care they deserve. By providing the medical and hygienic aid along with monthly health check up, their problems must be addressed on serious grounds. The men should be given proper care and treatment they deserve along with other secondary treatments. However, the Australian government should also build psychological health camps for the refugee men, women and children in order to bring them out from the painful situation they are going through with proper care, attention and moral support.
Migratory activities are as ancient as the birth and evolution of humankind. Migration occurs due to reasons such as war, famine and options for better opportunities of settlement. However, Syrian war, which is the deadliest war that shook the humanitarian conscience of the society has to be dealt with on any grounds. The respective paper provides an account of the problems the Syrian refugees might be facing in Australia and how such issues can be combated.
References:
Betts, A., Loescher, G., & Milner, J. (2013). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): The politics and practice of refugee protection. Routledge.
Karlsen, E. (2016). Refugee resettlement to Australia: what are the facts?
McAdam, J. (2013). Australia and asylum seekers.
Phillips, J. (2015). Australia’s Humanitarian Program: a quick guide to the statistics since 1947. Parliamentary Library.
Slewa-Younan, S., Mond, J., Bussion, E., Mohammad, Y., Guajardo, M. G. U., Smith, M., … & Jorm, A. F. (2014). Mental health literacy of resettled Iraqi refugees in Australia: knowledge about posttraumatic stress disorder and beliefs about helpfulness of interventions. BMC psychiatry, 14(1), 320.
Wang, G. (2018). Global history and migrations. Routledge.
Yazgan, P., Utku, D. E., & Sirkeci, I. (2015). Syrian crisis and migration. Migration Letters, 12(3), 181-192.
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