The federal government's bid to gain extraordinary new immigration powers to aid deportations of non-citizens rests on whether it is willing to do a deal with the Coalition to make a series of amendments.
The Coalition says it can improve Labor’s deportation bill – but might Dutton blow it up instead? By Paul Karp, The Guardian
Six weeks ago the Coalition and the Greens teamed up to punt Labor’s controversial deportation bill to a Senate inquiry.
It was a sign of the Albanese government’s vulnerability on the immigration detention issue since the NZYQ high court decision that the opposition felt it had more to gain by keeping the issue running than helping to pass tough new laws.
For the Greens, it was a chance to kill a bill they hated. It contains mandatory minimum sentences of one year in prison for a non-citizen refusing to cooperate with their deportation, as well as ministerial powers to blacklist whole countries from new visa applications.
Striving to be a 'good migrant' led Qin Qin down a damaging path of overwork. By Charis Chang, SBS News
Qin arrived in Australia to join her father in 1989 when she was three years old and quickly adapted to life here, she writes in her book ‘Model Minority Gone Rogue’.
She was soon excelling academically, encouraged by her "tiger mother" who enrolled her in piano, violin, Chinese, swimming, art, maths and gymnastics lessons.
When asked what she did on her weekends, her answer was "homework".
How a Vietnamese refugee became a Fair Work Commissioner, UNHCR
Forty years ago, Oanh Thi Tran was hidden inside the hold of her father’s fishing boat as the family fled Vietnam, setting sail across the high seas towards an unknown future.
How a Vietnamese refugee became a Fair Work Commissioner, UNHCR
Asylum Insight - Monthly Wrap May 2024
In the media. In policy. In research
IOC Refugee Olympic Team to represent more than 100 million displaced people at the Olympic Games Paris 2024
Thirty-six athletes from 11 different countries, hosted by 15 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and competing across 12 sports were named today as members of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024. The announcement was made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach, during a live-streamed ceremony from Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland. Appearing at the Olympic Games for the third time, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will represent the more than 100 million displaced people around the world.
Biloela Tamil family says government's proposed migration laws would have seen them jailed. By Evelyn Manfield, ABC News
The government has consistently said the migration legislation "closes a loophole" for people who have "no legal grounds" to remain in Australia, and would give the government powers it should already have.
But supporters of the Biloela family said the government's bill was "cruel" and would break-up communities and families, like was the case with the Nadesalingam family in Biloela.
‘Deep concern’ over alleged assault of 73-year-old Perth woman by detainee released under NZYQ decision. By Ben Doherty & AAP, The Guardian
Labor frontbencher Ed Husic said the situation was concerning.
“We are deeply concerned about what we have seen, we have had to respond to a court decision that required the release of those detainees and put in place measures to be able to protect the Australian public as much as we possibly can,” he told ABC TV on Tuesday.
Road not taken: the moment Andrew Giles passed on chance to shut down detention court case. By Paul Karp, The Guardian
A submission to the immigration minister, released under freedom of information, shows that on 18 September Giles refused to give NZYQ a visa or release him into community detention, nine days before the government approached its Five Eyes allies to deport him.
The government lost the high court challenge in November, resulting in the release of more than 150 immigration detainees.
Is Labor trying to ‘out-Dutton Dutton’ on immigration detention? By Rebekah Holt, Crikey
The lawyer who represented the Biloela family, Carina Ford, acknowledged that a situation like the one the Biloela family faced could arise again. Ford said that asylum seekers who arrived in Australia many years ago, have been granted bridging visas, found work and started families, all while languishing in various glacial, much criticised visa application cul de sacs, could find themselves detained, with their only hope being that the minister decides to grant them a visa.
To that end, earlier this month, Ford, who is also chair of the Law Council’s migration law committee, warned the Labor government that its problematic deportation bill “could see people rounded up to be removed”.
“This bill has huge ramifications. It’s very draconian and I’m actually a little shocked that it’s been presented,” Ford told Crikey after appearing at the Senate inquiry.
Is Labor trying to ‘out-Dutton Dutton’ on immigration detention? By Rebekah Holt, Crikey
Operation Zufolo: Australia deployed a ‘charade’ to sustain indefinite immigration detention – it failed. By Paul Karp, The Guardian
A departmental spokesperson confirmed to Guardian Australia that in May 2022 it established “a third country options taskforce to enhance efforts to address removal barriers for long-term detention cases, particular for those individuals that could not be removed to their home country”.
In November 2022 it was succeeded in the ABF by Operation Zufolo, which is described as the operational and removal phase.
Points test system for skilled migrants set for overhaul. SBS News
"Our goal is to build a smaller, better planned, more strategic migration system that works for Australia," Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said.
Points test system for skilled migrants set for overhaul. SBS News
Afghan social entrepreneur wins Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition. SBS News
Hedayat Osyan is the winner of the 2024 Australia for UNHCR – SBS Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition. Through his social enterprise, CommUnity Construction, Oysan trains and employs refugees in construction, empowering them to become self-sufficient.
Afghan social entrepreneur wins Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition. SBS News
Creativity is freedom for detainees. By Behrouz Boochani, The Saturday Paper
BB You are right that we have different groups of people oppressed by different systems. However, oppression everywhere operates through the same mechanism of power, that’s why the concept of intersectionality is important.
Different minorities can understand each other better by sharing their stories – a Kurd in the Middle East, a Baha’i in Iran, an Aboriginal person in Australia. In my perspective, it’s crucial to recognise what these experiences have in common if we want to challenge the power structure that creates them.
Another point you raised is how colonisers create hate among people and divide communities. In the context of Manus, they not only divided refugees from the local community but they brought that division within the detainee community itself. The system in Manus fostered division by pitting individuals against each other in competition for access to necessities such as food and space. Detainees internalise the violence and humiliation they endure, which leads to self-hatred and hatred of others. However, in Manus, we had a culture of brotherhood at the same time. It is important to raise awareness about this internalisation process and empower people to challenge it.
Creativity is freedom for detainees. By Behrouz Boochani, The Saturday Paper
Bondi attack victim Faraz would have celebrated his birthday on 24 April. He'll be buried instead. By Rehan Alavi, SBS Urdu
Faraz Tahir is set to be buried more than a year after seeking asylum in Australia, after escaping persecution in Pakistan.
The student, who was working as a security guard at the busy shopping centre at the time of his death, leaves behind three brothers and two sisters, having previously lost both his parents.
Why this Coalition senator is calling for empathy in the immigration debate. By Angus Thompson, SMH
The Coalition’s assistant multicultural spokesman Paul Scarr says parliamentarians need to inject greater empathy into the debate over Labor’s controversial deportation bill and consider the futures of young working people who face mandatory jail terms if it is passed.
The Queensland Liberal senator said the proposed legislation had “real-world consequences” for traumatised and vulnerable people in multicultural communities, and passionately urged decision-makers from all sides of politics to register the distress being caused.
Why this Coalition senator is calling for empathy in the immigration debate. By Angus Thompson, SMH
Boost drug search powers, make immigration detention ‘last resort’, watchdog says. By Paul Karp, The Guardian
Immigration detention should be time-limited and “only be used as a last resort” if a non-citizen is a risk to the Australian community or of absconding, the Australian Human Rights Commission has said.
The AHRC made that recommendation in a report by the human rights commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, into the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre (YHIDC) in Western Australia, released on Monday.
Finlay wrote that although the “key concerns have been raised repeatedly for many years” there has been “an increase in critical incidents across the whole immigration detention network” as the population shifts from asylum seekers who arrived by boat to people whose visas have been cancelled on character grounds.
'Unsafe' immigration detention centre labelled 'not fit for purpose' in new report, SBS
The report, released on Monday, found there was a concerning "lack of access to healthcare", including emergency, out-of-hours, and mental health services, which presented "a very significant risk to people detained".
Many of those being held at the centre were detained due to visa cancellations based on character grounds.
Finlay said the cohort of people entering immigration detention had changed significantly over time.
'Unsafe' immigration detention centre labelled 'not fit for purpose' in new report. SBS
As we celebrate the permanent residency granted to Sydney’s ‘bollard man’, visa uncertainty looms over others. By Shankar Kasynathan, The Guardian
Those of us who have found refuge in Australia will be celebrating with Damien Guerot, just as we celebrate with anyone else who gets to enjoy all the promise that comes with calling Australia home.
At a time when this country and many of its citizens are searching far and wide for signs of the “fair go” that we are promised in Australia, the arbitrary nature of the good will of our prime minister threatens to reinforce a well-worn myth of deserving and undeserving migrants.
The High Court is hearing another high-stakes immigration case. Can people be forced to assist in their own deportation? By Sara Dehm & Anthea Vogl, The Conversation
While the case turns on a narrow question of Australian constitutional law, it also raises urgent concerns about the human consequences of a flawed and discriminatory “fast-track” legal process for determining the status of asylum seekers who arrive by boat.