The Tasmania Opportunity (TTO) was formed in mid-2014 and its objectives are to:
- build positive working relationships with organisations and networks committed to the welfare of refugees and asylum seekers
- research and present information on issues relating to the needs and circumstances of refugees and asylum seekers
- increase public awareness and media sensitivity towards refugees and asylum seekers in Tasmania
- promote the development of just, humane, lawful and constructive policies towards refugees and asylum seekers by governments and communities, with a particular focus on Tasmania
- promote the empowerment of refugee communities and individuals in Tasmania
- support the capacity building of Tasmania’s refugee sector
- assist the Tasmanian government and inter-governmental organisations to formulate policy and improve support and services for refugees and asylum seekers in Tasmania, and
- assist the Tasmanian government to develop social cohesion and economic activity in urban and regional communities.
Our work was originally directed toward the development of a plan for an urgent transition towards a better framework for receiving, screening and where appropriate, settling asylum seekers in Tasmania and in so doing provide the Australian Government with an alternative to offshore processing. However, in late 2014, the Australian Government introduced a number of new measures that support Operation Sovereign Borders policy and regulations:
- 18 November 2014: Immigration Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia would no longer resettle refugees who attempt to come here via Indonesia.
- 5 December 2014: Parliament approved the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Act 2014 Cwth (the Asylum Legacy Act). This legislation reintroduced Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) with a three-year time limit. It also introduced Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV) with a five-year time limit.
- 21 December 2014: The Minister announced that the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Nauru would assess the refugees remaining on Manus Island and Nauru respectively ‘in accordance with agreements signed with both countries’.
These actions have made it extremely difficult for TTO to progress our original proposed goal to move off-shore processing to Tasmania and therefore the Association has re-assessed its options with the clear remit of continuing to meet the tenet of our ‘objects and purpose’.
In June 2014, TTO released a proposal entitled A New Deal for Asylum Seekers that built on the work already undertaken by TTO and our members and supporters. It reflected the current view of other mainstream Australian NGOs that a ‘small steps’ approach working from within the policy framework to influence and change Australia’s current position with regard to asylum seekers and refugees would result in incremental improvements to the lives and well-being of all asylum seekers and refugees.
In November 2016, we released a proposal called Seizing the Moment, which is a more detailed proposal to trial the supported settlement of selected Safe Haven Enterprise Visa holders in rural regions in Tasmania.
This proposal does not alter our mid to long term goal to see an end to Australia’s current inhumane approach to managing this issue and the establishment of a better holistic national and international system to respond to this growing global catastrophe.
In March 2018, we established a pilot employment program and a review report was released in July 2019 outlining the results of this experiment. This review recommended the establishment of an integrated employment and literacy initiative for humanitarian entrants to Tasmania.