The Palestinian community and refugee advocacy groups are urging the veteran Labor frontbencher to offer those fleeing Gaza a special humanitarian pathway like those offered to Afghans in 2021 and Ukrainians in 2022.
Labor’s immigration record and the zombie portfolio. By Peter Hughes, P&I
Given the catastrophe they inherited from the Coalition Government, Labor’s immigration record over two years is actually quite good. Huge improvement is still required. They will remain seriously hampered by the Home Affairs portfolio construct and must eventually restore a freestanding Department of Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. Andrew Giles has been unfairly criticised for his handling of a problem that was of Peter Dutton’s making.
Labor’s immigration record and the zombie portfolio. By Peter Hughes, P&I
Tony Burke blasts ‘idiotic’ suggestion he would weaken security checks for Palestinians. By Sarah Basford Canales, The Guardian
The new home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has rubbished suggestions that he will rubber-stamp visas for Palestinians in a bid to stave off backlash in his western Sydney seat at the next federal election.
Burke, in his first interview following the Albanese government’s reshuffle, said the suggestions made by shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, in a recent article were “idiotic” and untrue.
Opinion: The Coalition’s home affairs experiment was doomed to fail. Tony Burke has a huge job on his hands. By Abul Rizvi, The Guardian
After an announcement by Anthony Albanese, Asio is now moving back to the attorney general portfolio, along with the AFP, where the two functions had been before the home affairs experiment started.
While the title remains, the vision of making immigration and multicultural affairs function as part of Australia’s national security and law enforcement apparatus is hopefully over.
Ministers aren’t the problem at a shrinking Home Affairs. By Bernard Keane, Crikey
Changing ministers at Home Affairs won't fix its problems, especially when Labor wants effective management of our visa system.
Ministers aren’t the problem at a shrinking Home Affairs. By Bernard Keane, Crikey
Cabinet reshuffle: Here's who made Anthony Albanese's 'team to take to the election'. SBS News
O'Neil has moved to housing and homelessness but remains in cabinet.
Giles has been given skills and training in the outer ministry.
Tony Burke has taken up home affairs and immigration, with the latter being elevated into the cabinet from the outer ministry — as well as holding the cyber security and arts portfolios, and being Leader of the House.
Cabinet reshuffle: Here's who made Anthony Albanese's 'team to take to the election'. SBS News
Cabinet contenders circle as Giles expected to be moved out of immigration in reshuffle. By Amy Remeikis, The Guardian
Andrew Giles, the immigration minister, is expected to be moved out of the immigration portfolio with questions over Clare O’Neil’s future in home affairs. The Queensland senator Murray Watt has been named as a possible contender for elevation up the ranks, potentially being moved into immigration or either skills or the industrial relations portfolio.
If moved from their portfolios, O’Neil and Giles are expected to remain in cabinet.
CRUELTY BY DESIGN: The health crisis in offshore detention. Prepared by Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
During the past 11 years, Australia’s policy of offshore processing has caused at least 14 deaths and significant physical and mental harm to the thousands of refugees and people seeking asylum subjected to unimaginable cruelty in detention centres in Nauru and Manus Island (PNG).
The policy has proven to be a cruel failure, not only due to the significant costs to operate the contentious detention regime – over $12 billion from July 2012 to June 2024 – but due to the widely-documented cases of medical neglect, sexual violence, suicide attempts, mental and physical abuse and countless other human rights violations that have occurred offshore.
Today, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) continues to advocate alongside medical experts and those still held offshore, for the Australian Government to be held accountable for the safety, medical care and welfare of approximately 47 refugees and people seeking asylum held in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and 96 people detained in Nauru.
Migrants and homeless people cleared out of Paris during Olympics. ABC News
Authorities also have been sharply criticised as they have bussed camping migrants from the city centre, where the Olympics are taking place, to the fringes of Paris or other areas.
Activist groups and migrants have called the practice — long used in other Olympic host cities like Rio de Janeiro in 2016 — a form of "social cleansing".
Migrants and homeless people cleared out of Paris during Olympics. ABC News
Stop the offshore health crisis - calls for Federal Government to end offshore detention. By Jane Favero, Croakey Health Media
Everyone ASRC is in contact with on PNG reports physical health problems and issues accessing appropriate health care. On Nauru its more than 60 percent.
Alarmingly, in PNG, 20 percent of refugees are so unwell that their lives are in imminent risk. We have a real fear that someone will die soon. And its not just us doctors have issued the same warning.
Refugees Susan and Raj Dahal have been waiting 12 years to bring their eldest children to Australia. ABC Ballarat / By Rochelle Kirkham
After 11 years of uncertainty in Australia, Susan, Raj and their two Australian-born children were granted permanent residency, allowing them to apply for visas to bring their eldest children to Australia for the first time.
It was a celebratory moment, but the joy has now worn off, after 12 months of anxiously waiting without any news on their application.
Regional Australians have opened their hearts to refugees – we should open pathways to match. By Dellaram Vreeland, The Guardian
Advocates are calling on the federal government to open a new visa pathway for refugees via broader community sponsorship of asylum seekers.
Audio : Largest ever refugee team to compete at Olympics. Presented by Biwa Kwan, SBS News
The Refugee Olympic Team has settled into the Olympic village in Paris, as part of final preparations ahead of the opening ceremony. This year's team of 37 athletes is the largest yet, reflecting the growing number of refugees worldwide.
Largest ever refugee team to compete at Olympics. Presented by Biwa Kwan, SBS News
Federal parliamentary committee presents a decisive case for an Australian Human Rights Act. By Spencer Zifcak, Pearls & Irritations
The report provides a new and compelling case for Parliament to revisit the idea that Australia should join every other Western nation in providing comprehensive legal protection to combat the widespread infringement of human rights.
There are four key areas of concern in relation to migration. These relate to the mandatory cancellation of visas (on character, security grounds or other grounds); the ‘fast-track’ process for assessing applications for refugee status; changes to the Maritime Powers Act (the legislation which authorises boat turn-backs); and ASIO assessments in relation to refugees and non-citizens. In each, many former rights to procedural fairness have been swept away.
Nauru detainee speaks out as new boat arrivals near 100. By Isabel Roe, ABC News
One detainee currently at the centre, Mohammad Anjum, is one of 39 men from Pakistan and Bangladesh who were found at Beagle Bay on the West Australian coast in February after arriving on a fishing boat from Indonesia.
"When we ask them how long we will stay here, how long we will go outside, what is our future — no one is saying this."
"If you attempt an illegal boat journey to Australia you will either be turned back or sent to Nauru," Ms O'Neil said.
Crossbench MPs including independent senator David Pocock, and North Sydney MP Kylea Tink are pushing the Albanese government to improve processing times, and prevent asylum seekers being left on Nauru for years.
Nauru detainee speaks out as new boat arrivals near 100. By Isabel Roe, ABC News
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hits back after constituent charged with trespass at his office. By Ellen Ransley, The Nightly
The woman shared a video on her social media of her conversation before the arrest, explaining she was attempting to get assistance for her family in Gaza who had their visa applications to come to Australia denied.
On Friday, Mr Albanese said what had occurred was not about someone being prevented from help.
VIDEO: Meet the families who escaped the war in Gaza. Reported by Will Murray, ABC News 7:30
More than 2,000 Palestinian refugees have arrived in Australia since the war in Gaza began. They are worried about their families left behind in a war zone.
"I know that most of Australia's population are refugees," Shahrazad said.
"That's why they must empathise with us more than the people of any other western country because they lived through oppression, injustice, colonisation, wars, famine, and disease.”
"Everything I just said, we have in Gaza."
VIDEO: Meet the families who escaped the war in Gaza. Reported by Will Murray, ABC News 7:30
Future of New Zealand's Nauru resettlement deal unclear. By Ben McKay, National Indigenous Times
New Zealand is unlikely to resettle its full quota of refugees from Nauru under its 2022 agreement with Australia, and faces choices on the future of the pact.
A deal struck by previous governments on both sides of the Tasman agreed New Zealand would take 450 refugees from the detention centre between 2022-2025.
In the first two years of the pact, around 210 people have been approved to settle in New Zealand, and just 172 have done so.
More have been referred to the UNHCR for processing.
Future of New Zealand's Nauru resettlement deal unclear. By Ben McKay, National Indigenous Times
Anniversary of 19th July policy : 11 years too long - Zoom event on Saturday 20th July 6- 8pm
Speakers:
Behrouz Boochani, writer and former Manus detainee
Behnam Satah, social worker and former Manus leader
Ian Rintoul, activist with Refugee Action Coalition
Craig Foster, former national soccer player and human rights activist
Jana Favero, Director of Systemic Change with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
This event is free to attend, but please register your attendance to help us accommodate numbers via Zoom.
Anniversary of 19th July policy : 11 years too long - Zoom event on Saturday 20th July 6- 8pm
How 'The Rascals' of Melrose Park Football Club have taken their traumatic journey and turned it into a positive. By David Mark, ABC News
"We want to provide a football club that can help new migrants and refugees adjust to Australian society and culture and we want to use the round ball for that," says Julie Crane, the president of the Melrose Park Football Club in Sydney.