Australia reports:

Unhcr report confirms worldwide increase in asylum seekers
and
Improved support for trafficking victims

UNHCR REPORT CONFIRMS WORLDWIDE INCREASE IN ASYLUM SEEKERS (FED)

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said
Australia will continue to meet its international obligations to refugees
forced out of their own countries due to war or fear of persecution. The
UNHCR 2008 Global Trends Report shows there were 42 million forcibly
displaced people worldwide at the end of 2008, which included 15.2 million
refugees. A staggering 44 per cent of all refugees and asylum seekers were
children under the age of 18. Senator Evans said the report confirms that
the increase in people seeking asylum in Australia is part of a worldwide
trend driven by insecurity, persecution and conflict. The UNHCR report
shows that asylum claims increased worldwide by 28 per cent in 2008, with a
dramatic escalation in the number of asylum seekers lodging claims in South
Africa.
UNHCR global trends 2008 report 

(See attached file)

IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS  (FED)

The Australian Government announced changes to Australia’s anti-people
trafficking strategy to provide improved support for victims. The changes,
announced at the second meeting of the National Roundtable on People
Trafficking in Canberra today, will simplify the framework, enable a wider
range of victims to access support and improve services to victims and
their families. The changes to the Government’s Support for Victims of
People Trafficking Program and the People Trafficking Visa Framework
recognise the particular vulnerabilities of victims of trafficking and
provide a more flexible framework to support victims and their families.
The Minister of Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said he
was pleased to be introducing the changes to the People Trafficking Visa
Framework, which have been developed following consultations with a range
of stakeholders
.(See attached file)