Australia’s use of hotels for immigration detention found to have ‘devastating’ health effects. By Ben Doherty, The Guardian

Human rights commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, inspected detention hotels with Prof Suresh Sundram, the head of the department of psychiatry at Monash University, and found “entrenched boredom, loneliness, frustration and apathy” among detainees.

Some reported they felt they were better off in prison or immigration detention centres, where they had access to activities, exercise and fresh air.

At the time of the commission’s inspections in mid-2022, the longest continuous detention in a hotel was 634 days and the average time was 69 days.

Australia’s use of hotels for immigration detention found to have ‘devastating’ health effects. By Ben Doherty, The Guardian

Migrant groups urge reform of Australia’s ‘broken’ skills recognition process. By Mostafa Rachwani, The Guardian

It can be an arduous task to get overseas qualifications recognised in Australia. The Productivity Commission in 2006 described it as “complex, time-consuming and bureaucratic” process.

And it has forced Harooni to turn to other options, including taking an entry-level role at Transport NSW, a job he says he is happy for but doesn’t reflect what he can do.

“I’m really thankful for my job, but within myself I am not feeling happy that I am not working in my profession, which is what I have dedicated most of my life to,” he says.

Migrant groups urge reform of Australia’s ‘broken’ skills recognition process. By Mostafa Rachwani, The Guardian

'The freedom to choose' - celebrating human rights this Refugee Week. Hume City Council, Victoria

Every day, often without even realising it, people all over Hume City are benefitting from the experiences multiculturalism brings to our community. 

Every year Hume City council celebrates this richness of diversity and cultures that refugees bring to the Hume community during Refugee Week, which is happening this year from 18-24 June.  Details- rb.gy/ssstp

'The freedom to choose' - celebrating human rights this Refugee Week. Hume City Council, Victoria

For every meal you buy at this Sydney restaurant, another two go to a refugee. By Sandra Fulloon, SBS News

It’s lunchtime at Kabul Social, near Sydney's Wynyard Station, and a queue is forming at the counter. City workers order meals cooked by Afghan women, featuring the flavours of their homeland. For each meal sold, the social enterprise donates another two; one to refugees and asylum seekers living in Australia and the other to someone in Afghanistan.

For every meal you buy at this Sydney restaurant, another two go to a refugee. By Sandra Fulloon, SBS News

Asylum seekers centre stage in Sid Pattni's exhibition The Story of Us. By Molly Schmidt, ABC Radio Perth

Malak is an Iraqi asylum seeker who now calls Perth home. Her portrait is one of many painted by Indian-Australian artist Sid Pattni for his exhibition The Story of Us. The large portraits stretch across the walls, solemn faces staring into the Cleaver Street Studio in West Perth. Beside each painting rests a pair of headphones offering the viewer a chance to listen to snippets of each asylum seeker's story.

Asylum seekers centre stage in Sid Pattni's exhibition The Story of Us. By Molly Schmidt, ABC Radio Perth

‘My wife thinks I have a beautiful life’: refugees face uncertain future as Australia clears Nauru. By Eden Gillespie, The Guardian

“She [doesn’t] know that I’m in Nauru. I don’t want to tell her, otherwise, she’ll get upset. “When she’s upset, she cuts her hand because she misses me after 10 years apart.” Next week, Ali will fly to Australia as the federal government plans to empty the island of refugees by 30 June.

But despite their transfers, Australia will retain an “enduring” capacity for offshore detention on the island indefinitely.

‘My wife thinks I have a beautiful life’: refugees face uncertain future as Australia clears Nauru. By Eden Gillespie, The Guardian

SUBMISSION TO THE HUMANITARIAN DISCUSSION PAPER 2023-24. By Refugee Advice & Casework Service

RACS welcomes this opportunity to reflect on the Australian Government's Humanitarian Program (the Humanitarian Program) as our service focuses on assisting both onshore and offshore humanitarian applicants and entrants. As such we are well placed to discuss the following issues as part of our submission to inform the management and composition of the 2023-24 Program:

1. The role of legal service provision in the settlement journey of humanitarian entrants; 2. The size of Australia’s offshore Humanitarian Program; 3. Principles to guide the Humanitarian Program; 4. Australia’s role in responding to global and regional crises; 5. Other issues concerning onshore humanitarian applicants.

SUBMISSION TO THE HUMANITARIAN DISCUSSION PAPER 2023-24. By Refugee Advice & Casework Service

Australia to transport last asylum seekers off Nauru within weeks, refugees say. By Eden Gillespie, The Guardian

The Australian government is expected to move all remaining refugees and asylum seekers off Nauru by the end of the month, more than a decade after offshore processing restarted on the Pacific Island nation.

But Australia will retain an “enduring” capacity for offshore detention on the island indefinitely.

There are still about 82 asylum seekers held in Papua New Guinea, Abdel-Raouf said. They are not in detention, but live in impoverished and often dangerous circumstances and cannot leave the islands freely.

Australia to transport last asylum seekers off Nauru within weeks, refugees say. By Eden Gillespie, The Guardian

Protesters want refugee free from oppressive AUS detention. Presented by Lydia Lewis, Radio NZ

Australian protestors gathered outside the Brisbane detention centre calling for the freedom of Hamid, who had been held in a hotel and then the centre for months.

Hamid told RNZ Pacific's Lydia Lewis after almost nine years held offshore in Nauru he feels like the government of Australia is slowly killing him.

Protesters want refugee free from oppressive AUS detention. Presented by Lydia Lewis, Radio NZ

Refugee stories shine on the silver screen. Farid Farid, The Canberra Times

From jam sessions in Manus Island jail cells to an international soccer player ensnared in a fight between governments, Sydney Film Festival is shining a spotlight on the refugees who endured detention to find freedom.

The makers of two Australian feature documentaries screening this week, The Defenders and Freedom is Beautiful, are hoping to move audiences to look beyond their patch by examining the long-standing policy of offshore detention.

Refugee stories shine on the silver screen. By Farid Farid, The Canberra Times

Home affairs asked Labor to extend support for asylum seekers as housing market worsens. By Paul Karp, The Guardian

Cohorts up for review include detainees assessed as a low risk to the community, to who Australia owes a protection obligation, who are stateless, have complex health or care needs, or have been in immigration detention for five or more years.

Home affairs asked Labor to extend support for asylum seekers as housing market worsens. By Paul Karp, The Guardian

Home to Bilo team still fighting for change, 12 months since Nadesalingam family's return to Biloela. By Katrina Beavan, ABC News

Priya, Nades, Kopika and Tharnicaa are now re-established in the community, with a book deal to reveal more about their family's story later this year, limiting media interviews until then.

Home to Bilo campaigner and lawyer Simone Cameron says, "I think the success of the campaign comes down to the fact that we were able to humanise [the family] after such a sustained campaign by successive governments to dehumanise people who seek asylum by sea."

"There's still a lot of work to be done in that space, despite the fact that there's been some really great steps in the past 12 months."

Home to Bilo team still fighting for change, 12 months since Nadesalingam family's return to Biloela. By Katrina Beavan, ABC News