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Roads to Refuge: Refugees in Australia

Students examine the terms asylum seeker, refugee and migrant and discuss the differences. Students understand the significance of persecution in the refugee context. Students examine the concept of human rights and discuss some of the key articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Students participate in a simulation activity to assist understanding of human rights and the refugee experience.

These activities are adapted from Session 1 in Roads to Refuge: Refugees in Australia [kit] a joint project of the Centre for Refugee Research at the University of NSW, the NSW Department of Education and Training and the NSW Migration Heritage Centre. The kit is available from the Centre for Refugee Research and will be distributed to all NSW Government schools in Term 4 2003.

Consider the following issues
1.Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrants
Download Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrants or read on line.
Highlight the main conditions that describe an asylum seeker, a refugee and a migrant.
What are the main differences?
Divide the class into three or six groups and assign a category (asylum seeker, refugee or migrant). Ask each group to discuss and describe what they might feel on arrival in Australia. Report back to the whole class and discuss the differences.

2. Persecution
Fear of persecution is the basis of refugee claims and is the major difference between migrants and refugees.
What is persecution in the refugee context?
Research and describe some instances of current persecution.
Ask students to list some of the rights and freedoms that we enjoy in Australia which, if removed, could be grounds for persecution.

3. Human rights - key articles
Download Human rights- key articles.
Human rights are those rights recognised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as necessary for people to live in dignity. Human Rights belong to every person in the world. Every person in the world is entitled to the same level of human rights.
Discuss:
Which groups in the world do not enjoy full human rights?
Can you think of groups in Australia who do not enjoy full human rights?

Simulation Activity
Download Teacher's notes
This activity is intended to assist students to understand the concept of human rights and to increase familiarity with a number of fundamental rights which we all enjoy.

United nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Amnesty International
Refugee Council of Australia
Centre for Refugee Research, University of New South Wales