This Malaysian Mum Is Allegedly A 'Refugee' In Australia And People Are Not Having It
"She had great experience in accounting and admin from Malaysia."
By Jia Vern Tham — 22 Mar 2018, 04:55 PM
Yesterday, 21 March, Australian-based employment consulting firm The Bridge Employment uploaded a photo of an alleged refugee identified as a Malaysian
In the Facebook post, The Bridge Employment wrote about a Malaysian woman named Brittany, who is a "single mum and came alone with her two kids" to Australia.
The firm also stated that Brittany "could only get farm work" since she arrived in the country. Brittany was then put into employment by the Australian firm, and she is now "helping out in the finance department".
The post attracted criticism from Malaysians, some of whom are currently residing in Australia
Many netizens doubt the genuineness of the woman's "refugee" status, and claimed that some Malaysians lie about being persecuted in order to obtain a protection visa from the Australian government.
The Facebook post was later corrected to clarify that Brittany is an asylum seeker
An asylum seeker is a person whose claim for refugee status has yet to be evaluated.
When contacted by SAYS, The Bridge Employment confirmed that Brittany was a participant the firm had helped into employment.
Brittany had "great experience in accounting and admin" before she left for Australia, and the firm claimed that she is now working as an admin as well.
The post has since stirred up conversation about the surge of protection visa applications made by Malaysians in Australia
According to Australian public broadcaster SBS, Malaysians made up 43% of all claims for asylum in 2016. The number of Malaysians who sought asylum in Australia "more than doubled" that year, in comparison to 2015.
The report also included statements from a Malaysian Chinese woman who sought refugee protection in Australia. According to her, Malaysian Chinese "faced restrictions and increasing persecution at the hand of the Malay government and the ethnic Malay population".
According to Australia's Department of Home Affairs, applicants of the protection visa might be successful if they meet the eligibility requirements
The list revealed that one has to be either a refugee or meet the complementary protection criteria in the Migration Act 1958. Well-founded fear of persecution may contribute to the success of an application as well.
The Migration Act 1958 states that a person has a well-founded fear of persecution if the person fears being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
Foreign Affairs and Human Rights expert Dr. Jean Jonathon Bogais told SBS that the rise in Malaysian asylum seekers is due to "increasing Islamisation as well as ongoing tensions between the dominant ethnic Malay population and other minorities".
"All they see is fear for the future... which is probably the biggest justification for the migration," he added.