Report on pledge – Protection of Migrants

Actions taken:

The Australian Government and Australian Red Cross continued to work together to promote the safety and dignity of migrants and displaced people in Asia and the Pacific. Key activities that progressed the provision of protection and assistance to vulnerable migrants include:

• Collaboration between Australian Red Cross and the Australian Government on response to the Ukraine conflict meant people arriving from Ukraine and people already in Australia on temporary visas were supported with emergency relief, including through the Humanitarian Settlement Program for people who were eligible.
• Collaboration between Australian Red Cross and the Federal Government in response to the Afghanistan crisis, saw Australian Red Cross supporting evacuees through the Humanitarian Settlement Program including in Western Australian, Australian Capital Territory and southwestern New South Wales.
• With support from the Australian Government, Australian Red Cross has been distributing cash assistance to temporary arrivals from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories who are in financial hardship, to help meet their essential needs in Australia.
• Australian funding (AUD13.45 million, 2022-24) to the ICRC in Sudan and neighbouring countries has helped address the most urgent needs and safety concerns arising from the conflict and multiple displacements. This has included lifesaving food and water, access to medical care, and re-establishing links between separated family members. ICRC has also engaged with authorities to strengthen adherence to International Humanitarian Law.

The Australian Government and Australian Red Cross continued to raise protection issues and concerns in the Asia-Pacific region, engaging in relevant fora to highlight best practice.

• The ICRC and the IFRC are Observer Organisations of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process). Co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia, the Bali Process is the premier regional forum for policy engagement, information sharing and practical cooperation on these complex, global challenges. Members of the IFRC attended the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process in early 2023. Outcomes of the meeting included:
  • the reactivation of the Bali Process Consultation Mechanism in response to irregular maritime movements in the Andaman Sea; and
  • a commitment to focus on the increasing scale of online scam operations by criminal syndicates which have become a significant driver of human trafficking in the region.
•  ICRC and IFRC have made valued contributions to events hosted by the Bali Process Regional Support Office (RSO), including the RSO’s Constructive Dialogue on Irregular Migration, Trafficking in Persons, People Smuggling and Related Transnational Crime in 2022 and 2023.

• Engagement between Australian Red Cross and the Australian Government through the multilateral Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways (CRCP) Working Group on Resettlement in Sydney in 2024, and the Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR) in 2022 and 2023 in Geneva, advanced resettlement issues of common interest and supported a person with lived experience to attend the forum to provide their perspective. At a time of unprecedented global displacement, the CRCP is an important mechanism to strengthen global partnerships to find durable, innovative solutions to refugee crises, and aligns with the Australia’s 2023 Global Refugee Forum pledges.

The Australian Government and Australian Red Cross maintained regular and constructive dialogue regarding the protection for migrants in the Asia-Pacific region. Opportunities have included:

• The partnership between ARC and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) supported work on mainstreaming protection, gender and inclusion (PGI) with national society partners in the Asia Pacific region. This has encouraged national societies to consider the needs of those who are most likely to face marginalisation during disasters (including migrants) and those who have been displaced across borders helping to ensure access to humanitarian assistance. An example of this has been the provision of specialised PGI support to displaced communities in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
• Results from the Refugee Adjustment Study (a partnership between the university of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne, Australian Red Cross and Settlement Services International, funded by an Australian Research Council grant) on the impact of visa uncertainty on people’s mental health and living difficulties were presented to the Australian Government in 2022 and 2023 to help inform evidence-based policy making.
• Through the Global Migration Lab, Australian Red Cross conducted global research during COVID-19 on the impact of COVID-19 on migrants in transition, barriers to access to health and social services, and risks experienced by temporary visa holders. This research informed the Australian Government’s domestic and regional responses to the pandemic.
• Engagement between Australian Red Cross and DFAT’s Pacific Labour Migration Facility helped share data and insights about the impact of COVID-19 on Pacific workers in Australia.

Implementation completion: