New York: Malcolm Turnbull has urged world leaders to look to Australia's uncompromising border protection policies as a model for holding their own political systems together while regaining control of irregular international refugee flows.
He said countries must design their internal policies with the public in mind and should co-ordinate efforts internationally to create "order out of chaos" with some 65 million people displaced by wars, famine and disasters.
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'Not every country is an island'
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull addresses the UN in New York City on refugees and migrants, 'the unregulated movement of people' and the need for 'safe pathways.'
Urged on by Pauline Hanson, who declared Australia was "landlocked" on Monday despite boasting one of the longer maritime borders in the world, the Australian Prime Minister told a United Nations summit on refugees and migrants in New York that official control and public support went hand-in-hand.
"Addressing irregular migration, through secure borders, has been essential in creating confidence that the government can manage migration in a way that mitigates risks and focuses humanitarian assistance on those who need it the most," he told the gathering.
"This has had a direct impact on our ability to provide generous and effective support to refugees. Without this confidence, we would not have been able to increase our intake of refugees – the world's third-largest permanent resettlement program – by more than 35 per cent.
"And we would not have been able to commit to welcoming 12,000 additional Syrian and Iraqi refugees, on top of this."
The message, which will provoke a strong disagreement from refugee advocates in Australia, was buttressed by Australia's record of resettlement since World War II.
While Australia lauds its achievement of effectively ending large-scale deaths at sea from ill-equipped people-smuggling voyages, the ongoing humanitarian disaster of indefinite detention in refugee centres branded as hell-holes on Manus Island and Nauru, has been glossed over.
Dubbing Australia "one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world," Mr Turnbull told the international community that "ours is an immigration nation" - a fact which has led to high levels of tolerance and a rich tapestry of cultural influences.
Also important was the separation of the state from theocratic interference or the danger of cultural dominance by one group over others.
"Diversity is an investment against marginalisation and extremism. It helps our community unite against extremism, rather than be divided by it."
"Australians are not defined by religion or race; we are defined by a common commitment to shared political values, democracy, freedom and the rule of law, underpinned by mutual respect.
"These values drive our approach to migration. We invite 190,000 migrants each year to join our nation of 24 million people. And our commitment to refugees is longstanding – our humanitarian resettlement program dates back to 1947.
But he warned governments they cannot afford to be naive and lose sight of the need for deep community acceptance of large refugee resettlement and assistance programs or face resistance leading to division and dysfunction.
This appeared to be a message directed to those countries - principally Germany - who have embarked on an ambitious resettlement programs in response to the massive humanitarian disaster created by the Syrian civil war, only to find themselves beset with political difficulties and damaging social divisions.
While German Chancellor Angela Merkel won international praise for inviting displaced Syrians in their hundreds of thousands to the federal republic, German public opinion has since turned sour and the once unassailable leader now faces a difficult task holding on to power at next year's election.
Transit countries through which asylum seekers must travel to reach Germany have also slammed shut their borders erecting barbed wire fences and restrictive rules to keep the displaced diaspora out.
Similar forces are building in other European countries and were the main cause of the Brexit decision earlier in the year.
Mr Turnbull, and his tough Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton who is also on New York for the talks, attracted Ms Hanson's full support on Monday.
"I think that Peter Dutton has done a very good job in controlling our borders with the number of refugees that we have coming across the borders," Senator Hanson told Seven's David Koch.
"Twelve hundred had perished. I think they have done a very good job in controlling refugees into Australia and the rest of the world will take note of that. Although we are landlocked. The other countries around the world have got many pouring across the borders. It has got an impact on this country ... enough is enough."
While here, Mr Turnbull will attend other meetings on refugees including a Barack Obama-led summit on Tuesday, and a meeting on ending human slavery chaired by Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May.
He commended moves to strengthen the international framework.
"Australia welcomes the momentum we are seeing in the UN system and internationally," he said
"There is now stronger recognition that the international community must better share responsibility for helping those forced to leave their homes. All countries have a role to play and Australia is committed to a playing a role that provides resettlement options to genuine refugees, that sees our multicultural society grow from strength to strength, and that supports international efforts to help the most vulnerable."
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