Monthly Wrap Dec 2024

In the media

In community and locked detention

Serco lost the contract for immigration detention in Australia, a role they have played since 2009. The new contractor has not yet been announced. A human rights lawyer told the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that Australia’s detention centres are prisons where people are often detained unlawfully. The High Court ruled that it is unlawful to impose curfews and ankle bracelets on people who are moved into the community. Additional High Court cases are underway as to the lawfulness of detaining people while their protection applications are being assessed.

Boat arrivals

Indigenous rangers have criticised the rapid response of Border Force to boats carrying asylum seekers compared to the absence of response when they report illegal fishing in the area. After assisting four men recently, they demanded assurance from authorities that the men would be cared for.

International

As the ongoing conflict in Sudan has caused the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, the UN World Food Program detailed the scale of the famine threat and the complexity of delivering food aid. The UNHCR recognised Thailand as leading the world in their efforts to end statelessness. Italian Courts blocked the transfer of asylum seekers to Albania on the basis that EU law only permits the accelerated removal of people where they have come from countries considered safe. As President-elect Trump promised mass deportations of asylum seekers and illegal migrants, businesses working in detention and prison services expect to profit from the policy.

In policy

The government ended the parliamentary year by introducing legislation that will enable (i) Australia to pay a third country to receive failed asylum seekers, (ii) the re-detention of people who were released due to the NZYQ High Court ruling, and (iii) the Minister to declare any item (e.g. a mobile phone) to be prohibited in detention. A Senate inquiry heard that up to 80,000 people could be affected by the proposed removal powers. A bipartisan Parliamentary committee found that the re-detention legislation could impact on people’s human rights on multiple levels. The Coalition asserted that they are basically running the government’s immigration policy.

In research

The largest known study into the prevalence of mental health ill-health among people who spent time in Australian immigration detention found it was profound. On PTSD they were at 16-22 times more risk than the general population, the rate depended on whether their detention was onshore or offshore and whether it was above or below six months duration.

The Human Rights Law Centre and the University of Melbourne analysed the increase in visa cancellations and its effect on immigration detention and deportation.  The Refugee Council of Australia published evaluation findings of a decade of their Refugee Stories for Change program.

New releases and events

70th anniversary of the Convention on Statelessness, a webinar by the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness on 12 December 2024.

Monthly Wrap May 2024

In the media

Boat arrivals

Chinese nationals who reached the Kimberley coast by boat, and were labelled asylum seekers by the media, stated that they were seeking economic opportunity. At the time of their arrival, an ABC reporter provided an insight into local reaction to the situation.  

In detention

Sayed Abdellatif’s twelve years in immigration detention has ended after the Immigration Minister granted him a temporary protection visa. One of the people released after the High Court unlawful detention ruling is in custody on charges of a violent home invasion. Separately, another former immigration detainee was cleared of all sexual assault charges after the prosecution failed to provide any evidence in court.  The High Court has adjourned in the matter of ASF17, a case to clarify the lawfulness of ongoing detention where a person does not cooperate in the deportation process.

In the community

One of the people killed by the Bondi Junction attacker was a Pakistani refugee who was working his  first day shift as a security guard.

International

The UNHCR and the Asia Venture Philanthropy Network have partnered to create innovative financing programs to support initiatives that improve the lives of forcibly displaced people in the Asia-Pacific region. The EU Parliament approved the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which mandates countries to cooperate on the reception and relocation of asylum seekers to reduce pressure on the southern states. The UK government passed legislation to enable the implementation of their policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Cyprus suspended asylum applications from Syrians in response to an increase in arrivals. Azerbaijan asked the International Court of Justice to dismiss an Armenian case that alleges ethnic cleansing is occurring in the Nagorno-Karabagh region.  

In policy

A Senate Inquiry has been told that legislation, which criminalises a person’s refusal to cooperate with the deportation process, could inadvertently affect 4,463 people on Bridging Visa E. The Human Rights Commission’s latest inspection report on the Yongah Hill Detention Centre highlighted serious safety concerns from behaviours that are common to a prison system and inadequate health care.    

In research

Research commissioned by the Queensland government found more than 6,000 refugees and migrants have qualifications that match current skill shortage areas but cannot gain employment in those fields. It charts a way forward to enable appropriately skilled refugees and migrants to access employment in their field of expertise. The International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ) called for papers for their 2024 Asia-Pacific Conference.

Monthly Wrap April 2024

In the media

NZYQ High Court decision

In the wake of the High Court’s determination that indefinite detention is unlawful, lawyers believe that the government is settling cases out of court in order to prevent the lawfulness of curfews and ankle bracelets being tested in court. The AFP mistakenly arrested an Iraqi refugee based on incorrect information. This follows last month’s wrongful arrest, by Victoria Police, of a former immigration detainee in Melbourne.

Detention

Guardian Australia revealed that Serco, the contractor that runs immigration detention, uses a software program to determine the risk rating of detainees. The risk rating is used to decide how a person is managed in detention and has been found to have frequently been based on erroneous information.

Nauru and PNG

The coronial inquest into the death of Faysal Ishak, on Manus Island in 2016, heard how he was repeatedly dismissed by the contracted medical provider, IHMS, in the weeks leading up to his death. Hundreds of refugees, who were subjected to offshore processing, have passed 5 years since they were placed on rolling 6-month bridging visas.

Community

Hazara women in Shepparton have established the first Afghan-based Rural Australians for Refugees group in Australia. Despite Australia’s persistent skill shortage challenge, skilled refugees still find it difficult to secure work in their field of expertise.

International

According to the latest Missing Migrants Project report, more than 63,000 people died or disappeared on migration routes in the last ten years. The majority drowned. The UNHCR reported a 20% jump in philanthropic support for refugees from Islamic communities in 2023. Around 70 Rohingya people are feared drowned after their boat capsized off Indonesia. The UNHCR published new guidance on international protection for people fleeing Haiti.

In policy

The government rushed through legislation that criminalises a failure to cooperate in the deportation process, but the legislation has not yet passed the Senate. The legislation expands the Immigration Minister’s power and was passed through the lower house without any opportunity for debate.

New releases

Statelessness in Asia, edited by Michelle Foster, Jaclyn Neo and Christoph Sperfeldt, published by Cambridge University Press

Monthly Wrap February 2024

In the media

In Court

A man, who forced a refugee to work in slave like conditions, was sentenced to more than 3 years in prison. Three High Court cases were abandoned after the government dropped the requirement for the plaintiffs to wear ankle bracelets.

In Nauru and PNG

A businesswoman with links to Australia’s offshore refugee program in PNG faced court on drug smuggling charges. A number of the people who were transferred from Australia to Nauru in September 2023 have returned to their countries of origin.

In Gaza

Confirmation that UNRWA had terminated the contracts of staff who were allegedly involved in the Hamas attack on Israel caused a number of countries, including Australia, to pause funding to the UN agency.

In Indonesia

The Australian Federal Court ordered the government to pay compensation to Indonesian people who were charged with people smuggling and jailed as adults on the basis of a flawed age testing technique. Acehnese people have become increasingly hostile to the arrival of Rohingya people as the government has adopted a hard-line approach to dealing with their plight.

In policy

Legal experts have raised doubts about the need for the Preventative Detention legislation that was rushed through parliament in December. Human Rights Watch criticised Australia’s treatment of people seeking asylum and the conditions under which Australia detains them. Guardian Australia profiled the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot CRISP and some of the families who have settled in Australia through this pathway.

In research

The UNSW Kaldor Centre has commenced a 5-year research program into ‘Evacuations in International Law: Disasters, Conflict and Humanitarian Crises,' including the creation of Laureate Postdoctoral Fellowships.

New releases

Prosecuting Evil, a documentary on the last surviving prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials, available on ABC iview.

Australian Epic: The Tampa, a re-telling of the events that unfolded when the MV Tampa rescued refugees at sea, available on ABC iview.

Back Roads Naracoorte, a program on the small South Australian community that has embraced refugees, available on ABC iview.

Monthly Wrap December 2023

In the media

In Court

The High Court ruling, that the continued detention of people who cannot be deported is unlawful, resulted in the release of over 140 people and legislation rushed through Parliament. That new legislation was immediately challenged in the High Court. The Federal Court ordered the immediate release of a refugee who had been detained for over 11 years.

In Gaza

UNRWA, who have the mandate for the care of Palestinian refugees, warned that the conflict may result in over 1 million people becoming refugees. The ABC published an explainer on the repeated shelling of refugee camps in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Force. 

In PNG and Nauru

The government agreed to settle a negligence claim brought on behalf of an infant that became seriously ill while detained on Nauru. The eviction risk for the men who remain in PNG remains unresolved as the PNG government calls for further funding from the Australian government.

Afghans in Pakistan

Pakistan’s policy to forcibly return 1.7 million undocumented Afghans has resulted in many thousands of people living in tents as winter takes hold. NGOs have blamed western governments, including Australia, for abandoning Afghan people. Al Jazeera published a story on the options that Afghan people face.

International

Finland closed four border crossings with Russia to decrease the number of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants entering the country. Italy secured a deal with Albania whereby they would detain and process asylum seekers on Italy’s behalf. The UK Supreme Court ruled the Rwanda deal was unconstitutional and Austria stated its intention to pursue a similar policy. People entering Greece to claim asylum reported that they were subjected to invasive strip searches on arrival. Cate Blanchett urged the European Parliament to return humanity to the core of asylum policy. Refugees fleeing Darfur reported ethnically based killings amidst the ongoing fighting in Sudan. Canada’s new skilled refugees pilot program was criticised for potentially setting a dangerous precedent if refugees are assessed on their skills rather than their protection needs.

In policy

In response to the High Court ruling, the government announced its intention to pass preventative detention legislation in the final sitting week. Documents tabled in the Senate showed the Attorney-General approved the Human Rights Commission’s request to intervene in the High Court case, as it is required to do. Independent MP Kylea Tink introduced a bill to place a 90 day time limit on immigration detention and to ban the detention of children. The Refugee Council of Australia published their letter to government outlining their concerns on the new immigration detention legislation. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture urged the government to address the failures of contracted businesses to ensure detention centres are safe for detainees and staff.  The UNHCR published the program and papers for December’s Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.

In research

The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare published research into the health service use, health outcomes and causes of death for people who sought safe haven in Australia. A collaboration between Universities and NGOs researched the impact that Covid-19 measures had on refugee and migrant communities access to justice. The Human Rights Law Centre, in the UK, published an assessment of the first six months of the Streamlined Asylum Process.

New releases

Evacuation, a documentary on the British evacuation of Afghans in 2021

Monthly Wrap August 2023

In the media

Nauru and PNG

As Australians rallied in support of refugees on the ten year anniversary of the return to offshore processing, the 9 Media group revealed that Nauru detention contracts were awarded to a businessman who was under AFP investigation for corruption. ABC’s 7:30 ran a detailed overview of the issue and the Guardian raised concerns that Home Affairs may have misled the Senate. Parliamentary documents revealed that, in December 2021, Australia signed a confidential deal with Papua New Guinea whereby they would keep refugees there in exchange for funds. The current government refuses to release the details of the payments.  

Detention

A federal judge found that, despite the harsh conditions of hotel detention, it was not illegal.  Documents obtained under Freedom of Information showed 115 people were unlawfully detained in the last five years. A fire broke out at Villawood detention centre, forcing people to jump out their windows.

Protection Visas

Home Affairs data shows a doubling in the number of people who have claimed asylum after having arrived by plane in the last year. A person who has been on a temporary protection visa for 11 years, mostly without work rights, commenced a walk from Ballarat to Canberra to raise awareness of the plight of people in his situation.

International

Palestinians in a Jenin refugee camp lost their homes and cars from an aerial assault operation by the Israeli Defence Force amid the continued escalation in violence. The World Food Program announced a cut in food allowances to Syrian refugees in Jordan. The Hong Kong police announced bounties for the capture of eight democracy activists who fled the country, one of whom is Australian. Investigations into a deadly boat sinking in the Mediterranean suggest it may have been caused by Greek Coastguard attempts to tow the boat. The UK Parliament passed the Illegal Migration Bill, described as the country’s most extreme immigration legislation ever. Journalists in England toured a  barge that will house asylum seekers off their coast.

In policy

The government announced an additional $2.6million in funding will be allocated to settlement service providers.   

In research

Research found that detention more than doubles a person’s risk of PTSD. UNSW research concluded that securing temporary protection visas (labelled ‘medium security’) did not improve people’s mental wellbeing. The Melbourne Social Equity Institute’s annual conference on Migration, Refugees and Statelessness opened for registration. The UNSW Kaldor Centre advertised for two Visiting Fellowship positions, for people based in Sydney who have experienced displacement.

Monthly Wrap February 2023

In the media

Litigation

Around 100 people were released from immigration detention in the days leading up to Christmas. Lawyers believe the releases could be attributed to a Federal Court ruling that the threshold for a mandatory visa cancellation should not be based on cumulative sentences. The legality of Australia’s use of indefinite immigration detention will be challenged in court, in a case that could have implications for hundreds of people currently held.

Detention

A man who has spent 5 years in detention died by suspected suicide in Villawood Detention Centre. The latest Ombudsman report into immigration detention found that people’s concerns about maggots in the food were dismissed by Serco guards and that ‘holding cells’ with no toilet or running water were used for prolonged periods in Villawood detention centre, without any health assessment.

Nauru

A refugee remains on Nauru despite requiring urgent medical treatment and the fact that his family is now in Australia after their evacuation from Afghanistan. He was refused resettlement to Canada because Canada does not resettle people if it means they will be separated from their family.  The US prison operator that now runs Australia’s operations in Nauru was accused of gross negligence. Senator McKim requested the auditor-general look into the due diligence that was undertaken to award the contract.

2002 Cabinet Papers

The release of the 2002 Cabinet Papers revealed that the Howard Government was warned that fast-tracking a detention centre on Christmas Island would risk human rights and OHS safeguards, and would be very expensive. It also revealed the Howard Government explored quietly bringing offshore detainees back to Australia.

Housing affordability

The spike in rent across Australia is acutely impacting asylum seekers because they are not entitled to any government assistance and many are in insecure work.

Afghanistan

An Afghan man, who came to Australia as a refugee, brought with him a hard drive containing thousands of photographs showcasing Afghanistan’s landscape and the Hazara culture. His work was featured in a UNSW Library online exhibition.

International

79 children in the UK as unaccompanied minors seeking asylum have disappeared, feared kidnapped, from the government provided accommodation. A Russian commander of the paramilitary Wagner Group claimed asylum in Norway.  

In policy

At a Refugee Council of Australia event, the Immigration Minister took questions from the audience on a range of policy topics. The government announced that 19,000 people on Temporary Protection and Safe Haven visas will be granted permanent residence. The fate of an additional 12,000 people in the so-called ‘legacy caseload’ remains unclear.  Attorney-General Dreyfus said action will be taken to end the ‘inhumanity’ of Australia’s refugee policy.

In research

The latest European Journal of International Law includes an analysis of whether, in light of Taliban policy, all Afghan women and girls should be recognised as refugees.

Human Rights Watch 2022 World Report detailed Australia’s human rights failures when it comes to asylum seeker policy, the treatment of indigenous people in prison and the laws governing protests. Volume 4 of The Statelessness and Citizenship Review was published in December.

New releases

Map of Hope and Sorrow: Stories of Refugees Trapped in Greece, a book by Helen Benedict and Eyad Awwadawnan, published by Footnote Press.

Monthly Wrap December 2022

In the media

Nauru and PNG

The first six people, under New Zealand’s resettlement scheme with Australia, arrived from Nauru. The Home Affairs Minister said that letters telling asylum seekers to leave Australia were sent in error. Her department disagreed.

Detention

Information provided to senate hearings and reported by the commonwealth Ombudsman revealed that, since 2018, around 170 places were designated as detention facilities, including 77 hotels. Eight asylum seekers were released after ten years in onshore immigration detention. Australian officials were questioned by the UN Committee Against Torture, at its November session. The former PM, Scott Morrison, secretly held the Home Affairs portfolio at the time that he told journalists that any decision about the Nadesalingam family was the responsibility of the relevant Minister.

Community

A Kurdish refugee captained Australia’s blind football team in their debut international tournament. Afghan refugees reflected on the experience of seeing their national cricket team compete at the MCG. Participants in a NSW bushwalking program shared how the program boosted their wellbeing.

United Nations

The UNHCR has called for refugees and displaced people to be given seats at COP28. It warned that Haiti is on the verge of collapse and urged countries not to forcibly return people there. Similarly it demanded countries not to forcibly return people to the Democratic Republic of Congo where ongoing violence has caused huge numbers of people to cross the border. The UNHCR appealed for more aid to support the more than 200,000 Burundian people who have returned home in the last five years. UNRWA warned that its ability to support Palestinian refugees has reached a crisis point. In the world’s most densely populated refugee camp, young people have led projects to improve the local environment.

International

The EU agreed a new migrant plan and is prepared for an increase in Ukrainian people seeking sanctuary over winter. Kenya’s move away from an encampment response to refugees has shown better self-reliance among refugees when they can choose where they stay and have work rights. First responders in Syria blamed Russia for deadly drone attacks on displaced persons camps. A whistleblower revealed that the UK Home Office is recruiting retail staff to conduct refugee interviews with little training and support. An asylum seeker sued the UK government over the condition of the reception centre where asylum seekers are accommodated on arrival. A person at the accommodation centre died in what is believed to be a case of diphtheria.

In policy

An Afghan man was invited to his citizenship ceremony, but then suddenly stripped of his permanent residency when the immigration department claimed that his original Afghan identity document was a fraud. The government announced that refugees on temporary protection visas would get more rights to travel overseas and those who came by boat before 19 July 2013, and have permanent residence, would no longer be the lowest priority when it came to family reunion applications. The government committed to prioritising protection applications from Myanmar nationals. A briefing document revealed that the former government was advised, in 2020, to develop an individualised risk assessment capability so that more people could be released from immigration detention. Additionally it revealed that the current government is considering electronic monitoring as an alternative to immigration detention. The Refugee Council of Australia published its annual report.

In research

Research by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and Human Rights Law Centre confirmed that asylum seekers on bridging visas were at a higher risk of labour exploitation. The Melbourne Social Equity Institute published the papers that were presented at the 2022 Migration, Statelessness and Refugees Interdisciplinary Conference.

Monthly Wrap October 2022

In the media

Offshore detention

The controversial US prison operator, set to take over garrison operations on Nauru, will be paid $42 million for 52 days preparatory work. Meanwhile the existing contractor, Canstruct International, will continue to receive payment for the same period. People still held on Nauru said they have lost all hope of a life. Former guards at the Manus Island detention centre agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement offer from the Australian government for harm caused during their work there. Fourteen refugees have been interviewed under the New Zealand resettlement program.

Detention

The UN subcommittee on the prevention of torture has been urged to investigate Australia’s practice of handcuffing of immigration detainees during off-site medical appointments. People in immigration detention spoke out about the violence and drug use in facilities and their fear for their safety.

International

Thai fishermen rescued 10 Rohingya refugees who were adrift at sea for some time, and found a further 41 Rohingya people stranded on an island. The Sri Lankan Guardian detailed the reasons behind an increase in the number of Sri Lankan people risking boat journeys. An increasing number of Somali refugees, who lived most of their life in Dadaab refugee camp, have returned to Somalia to try to make a new life. The Dutch government initiated a plan to house more than 1,000 asylum seekers and migrants on ships in response to a worsening accommodation crisis. Britain’s new Home Office Secretary pledged to end boat crossings to the UK. Former Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, was appointed to a panel to provide oversight of the UK’s controversial Rwanda transfer program.

In policy

As Australia’s asylum system was equated to a lottery, refugees who spent years offshore received letters stating that settlement in Australia is not an option and that they should apply for resettlement to New Zealand. Meanwhile, refugees who were resettled in Australia through a skilled refugee program urged the government to expand the successful program. Registrations for the 2022 UNSW Kaldor Centre Conference opened.

New releases

Forty Nights, a book by Pirooz Jafari, published by Ultimo Press.

Monthly Wrap September 2022

In the media

In detention

The ABC profiled the situation of a refugee, with an intellectual disability, who has been in detention since he was 15 years old, while his mother lives in the community. The government says that his ongoing detention is based on character grounds.

 In Court

A Federal Court judge ordered the government to reassess their refusal of a citizenship application which effectively caused a child to become stateless. The High Court agreed to hear an appeal by a convicted people smuggler who was denied a protection visa. The case will test whether Australia’s deterrence policy is punitive.

In Nauru

Leaked documents revealed that Wilson Security collected intelligence for the Australian government on the people detained in Nauru.  A company that runs prisons in America was awarded the contract for detention centre operations in Nauru.

In the community

SBS profiled business start-ups by refugees in Australia, highlighting the fact that they are more likely to start their own business than other migrant groups.   

International

NGOs in France argued that the lack of support to asylum seekers in France is causing people to attempt the channel crossing. The war in Ukraine and conflict in Myanmar appears to have caused the Japanese government to consider accepting more refugees. Refugees in Cameroon will get national ID cards that will enable them to access basic services including education, banking and healthcare. Documents revealed that of the 16,000 people who were issued with notices of their potential removal under the UK’s new inadmissibility policy, only 21 were removed have been removed.

In policy

MP Andrew Wilkie re-introduced the Ending Indefinite and Arbitrary Immigration Detention bill to Parliament and MP Dai Le said she will push the government to increase the humanitarian quota and speed up refugee processing. Advocates called for the government to implement measures that will enable skilled asylum seekers already in Australia to more easily contribute to the workforce shortage. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, more than 211,000 people  applied for resettlement to Australia. Australia welcomed the first group of refugees under the new community sponsorship program. An Australian former refugee co-founded a global organisation that advocates for refugees to have direct input into policies that affect them.  

In research

The Refugee Council of Australia published its review of access to asylum, its first report under the new global Refugee Response Index. The UNSW Kaldor Centre released a Data Lab containing data on Tribunal and Court matters concerning asylum seekers and refugees. The Comparative Network on Refugee Externalisation Policies (CONREP) published a paper into the harmful narratives used to discuss refugees, and proposed a better way forward. The Refugee Law Initiative published the webinars from their 2022 conference. Michelle Foster and Cathryn Costello examined the question of differing reactions to refugee situations against international law that prohibits discrimination. The Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness opened registrations for their 2023 intensive course.

New releases

Unpacking the Australian offshore processing policy, an episode in the Australia: Inside Out podcast, published by Menzies Australia Institute, Kings College London.

Monthly Wrap July 2022

In the media
Ukraine
The UNHCR data portal on the Ukraine situation shows of the 7.7 million people who left Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, more than 2.5 million have returned. Australians have welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes. A number of them are exploring job opportunities in rural areas.

Post-Detention
As the Nadesalingam family returned to Biloela, it was revealed that the previous government made a last minute attempt to deport the family. Other people who have endured protracted limbo took heart that they too could secure more certainty. SBS caught up with the last group of men who were released from the Park hotel detention facility to find out how they were getting on.

Nauru

Refugees who remain stranded on Nauru face chronic food shortages amid a Covid-19 outbreak.

Community
Sister Brigid Arthur was awarded an AO for her dedication to vulnerable asylum seekers in Victoria. Newly arrived Afghans with professional backgrounds have resorted to labouring jobs after not getting opportunities in their areas of expertise.

Court
Peter Dutton MP filed a request to the High Court to examine the appeal that overturned the defamation ruling in his case against a refugee advocate. He argued that the case raise questions about the meaning that social media users give to words.

International
The UNHCR accepted NGO demands to cease using the term ‘people of concern’ in their work. It also published its 2021 Global Trends report on the situation of refugees and displaced people. A summary of the key trends can be found on our Global Statistics page. For the first time the Refugee Law Initiative adopted a Declaration on International Protection. Members of the Eritrean under-20 women’s football team remain in hiding in Uganda 7 months after they competed in a tournament there. The first flight to transfer asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda was abandoned after the European Court of Human Rights intervened.

In policy

Clare O’Neil was announced Home Affairs Minister and Andrew Giles as the Immigration, Citizenship, Multicultural Services and Multicultural Affairs Minister. The UNSW Kaldor Centre published a policy brief proposing an overhaul of Australia’s use of temporary protection visas and hosted a panel discussion on Australia’s refugee policy since the 2001 rescue of asylum seekers by the MV Tampa. Father Rod Bower reflected on the moral injury implications for Australians from our treatment of asylum seekers. Abul Rizvi, former Immigration Deputy Secretary, argued that the sustained focus on boat arrivals detracts attention from the fact that agents have systematically brought people to Australia on tourist visas, submitted bogus asylum claims and put them to work in agriculture in the knowledge that their claim would take years to be finalised.

In research

New research shows Australians overwhelmingly support maintaining or increasing our humanitarian intake. A study that tracked refugees over the first 5 years of their resettlement found that the amount of community support and acceptance they received affected the level of psychological distress they experienced during their adjustment to Australia. A review of 64 studies into the mental health outcomes of Syrian refugees found a high prevalence of mental disorder, but insufficient focus on the factors that led to improved mental health, especially post-resettlement.

New releases

Stateless, a short film detailing the situation of Rohingya people. An analysis of the debate surrounding the film was published on the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness Blog.  

The Criminalisation of People Smuggling in Indonesia and Australia. Asylum out of reach, by Antje Missbach published by Routledge.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder, a two-part Earshot series on the man who won a habeas corpus case (alias AJL20), published by ABC Radio National.

Monthly Wrap June 2022

In the media

Nauru and PNG

Leaked Nauru police correspondence showed a disregard for the wellbeing of refugees. Several former detention guards agreed a multimillion dollar settlement with G4S Security over the psychological harm caused by the violent incident in 2014 that resulted in the death of a refugee in the Manus Island detention centre.

Community

Safdar Ahmed, an artist with lived experience of Australia’s immigration detention regime, won the NSW Multicultural Award for his novel Still Alive. Mostafa Azimitabar, who was detained by Australia for 8 years, was nominated for the Archibald Prize. A refugee advocate successfully appealed a defamation decision that resulted from a case that was brought by Peter Dutton.

International

The UNHCR welcomed New Zealand’s acceptance of a review into immigration detention that found their current regime is at odds with their human rights obligations. The European Commission published the 2021 statistics on asylum claims in Europe. A UN aid conference secured pledges totalling $6.7 billion for displaced Syrians and the countries hosting them. The Turkish government announced plans to build 200,000 homes in northern Syria in an attempt to encourage refugees, currently in Turkey, to return home. Refugees in Switzerland conducted the second sitting of the Refugee Parliament where they debated issues and policies that directly affect them. The relocation of asylum seekers from UK to Rwanda was delayed due to legal challenges by charities and unions representing Home Office staff. 600 Ukrainian refugees in the UK’s Homes for Ukraine program were moved into hotels because the housing they were placed in was unsafe or inappropriate.

An estimated 75 people drowned when their boat capsized off the Tunisian coast. Around 2,500 people a week have crossed the border into Niger in recent months as conflict and security have become a serious problem in neighbouring countries. Canada aims to close a loophole in their Safe Third Country agreement with America that has enabled asylum seekers to cross into the country via Roxham Road, Quebec.

In policy

The change of government will enable 19,000 recognised refugees who are on temporary protection visas to apply for permanent residence. The incoming government confirmed the youngest child in the Murugappan family will be issued a bridging visa, which will enable the family to return to Biloela. A review will be conducted into election day text messages sent by the then government about a boat approaching Australia. During the election campaign an Afghan woman begged the then PM Scott Morrison to help evacuate her family and the BBC queried whether the release of refugees from long-term detention was an election tactic. The Greens have called for a royal commission into offshore detention.

A charity operating a refugee school in West Java reported that children were given playing cards promoting Australia’s ‘Zero Chance’ campaign against entry by boat into Australia. The Law Report discussed the High Court’s interpretation of the obligation to consider protection concerns of people who have served their prison sentences and face a serious risk of harm if they are deported to their country of origin.

In research

The Danish Institute for Human Rights published a detailed analysis of agreement between the UK and Rwanda. It compares the arrangement to similar policies elsewhere and how it sits within the context of Safe Third Country principles and obligations under international law.

New releases

Hope, Solidarity & Death At The Australian Border: Asylum Seekers & Christmas Island, by Dr Michelle Dimasi, published by Cambridge Scholars publishing 

Sending Aya Back: the Syrian teen facing deportation in Denmark, a documentary published by The Guardian