Madam Speaker, Ministers and colleagues, the ACDP supports this Bill which provides for matters with regard to the establishment of refugee reception offices, the establishment of the Refugee Appeals Authority, clarification and revision of procedures relating to refugee status determination and obligations and rights of asylum seekers. It also provides for unaccompanied foreign children in need of care, in terms of the Children's Act, to be issued with an asylum seeker permit and be assisted by a children's court. Also, a person with a mental disability needing asylum would now be able to be assisted in terms of the Mental Health Act.
Recent violent attacks on foreign nationals, which horrified the nation and the world, focused attention on the plight of foreign nationals and the Home Affairs Department's abominable handling of asylum seekers. A report submitted in March this year by a team charged by the Minister with assessing and addressing the huge backlog in processing asylum seekers reveals that after two-and-a-half years of clearing the 1998 to 2005 backlog, a new backlog of staggering proportions has developed with the influx of refugees since August 2005.
When refugees have no official status or documentation they cannot access jobs, health services or education and are at the greatest risk of xenophobia-related incidents. We simply must find the capacity to respond to the current needs and ensure that we don't have informal settlements forming as refugees are forced to set up camp while waiting for shockingly delayed processes.
The UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance Declaration of September 2001 urged states to comply with obligations under international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law in relation to asylum seekers, refugees and displaced persons.
The report, however, states that the department has been in constant violation of these laws. The ACDP hopes this legislation will improve this situation for asylum seekers and calls for its urgent implementation. The promised policy review is also eagerly awaited. I thank you.