Exploring Sustainability: The Health and Livelihoods of Asylum Seekers

Running head: MANAGEMENT
Academic literacy’s through exploring Sustainability: ‘The health and livelihoods of groups of
people seeking asylum’
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1
MANAGEMENTIntroduction
Asylum seekers are those people who seek international protection but whose claim for
the refugee status is not yet determined. On the other hand, a refugee is a person who is
recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees as someone who is living
in the fear of being prosecuted for reasons like race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or
membership of any specific social group and thus, cannot enjoy the social protection
(Aph.gov.au, 2011). Hence, asylum seekers are those who seek for international protection for a
better life in a lawful manner for several reasons, such as, social and political insecurity, civil
war in the home country or economic instability (Bansak, Hainmueller & Hangartner, 2016).
Hence, it can be said that providing facilities for better health and living condition of the asylum
seekers is a responsibility of the country providing asylum to these people. The three bottom
lines of sustainability are environmental, social and economic factors, which must be present in
the measures taken to provide an improved quality of life through health facilities and livelihood
condition to the asylum seekers. It has been found that the number of asylum seekers in Australia
has been increasing significantly over the years. Legal as well as illegal immigration to the
country is increasing who come by boats and airlines. Their manner of arrival often affects if
they are detained, the visa status and how their claim to be protected is determined. Thus, this
report will illustrate the impact of the sustainability factors, that is, environmental, social and
economic factors of Australia on the health and living condition of the asylum seekers in
Australia. The report will also discuss potential solutions to achieve sustainability in the given
issue.

2
MANAGEMENTBackground
As the asylum seekers are already displaced from their original habitat, it is highly
important for the host countries to give them a proper living condition with good health benefits
so that they can live an improved quality life. In a country like Australia, where there is already a
shortage in the housing supply, coupled with rising house prices, the increasing number of
asylum seekers is also adding to that problem (Paris, 2017). The housing problem is a major
issue in the sustainability of the country. The health and living condition of the asylum seekers
are also important for the government as the services witness physical and psychological
deterioration of the people seeking support and the daily deprivation of these people living below
the poverty line often face issues like unaffordable medicines and health care facilities, having
inadequate food for sufficient nutrition, not being able to afford insurance, or use public
transport, not having stable housing, and not being able to participate in the social programs and
festivals (Leiler et al., 2018). Thus, environmental, social and economic factors of sustainability
are often not achievable for the asylum seekers, which affect their health and living conditions
and their quality of life.
As highlighted by UNHCR (2018), environmental issues are challenging every country of
the world in various manner and scale. However, it has been found through research studies that
where there are a large number of people, the environmental impact is also large in those places.
The level of pollution is also higher in those places due to higher rate of transportation, higher
consumption of resources, higher level of emission of the harmful gases, and deforestation for
increasing the land supply for building houses for the increasing population. Thus, the carbon
footprint is very high in the major cities of Australia. It has been found that environmental issues
affect the health and living conditions of the asylum seekers. Migration to a different place has a