Weekly media round-up No. 48

The 157 Tamils held for almost a month on board an Australian Navy vessel travelled to the Cocos Islands and from there to the Curtin detention centre in Western Australia, making them the first asylum seekers to reach the Australian mainland in six months. Human rights lawyers questioned the legality of the Australian government’s decision to allow officials from India, where the boat originated, to interview the asylum seekers.

 Documents filed in the High Court showed that the National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, decided that the boat’s passengers should not be taken to Australia two days after it was intercepted.

Police in Puducherry, India, arrested two men on charges of renting out the boat they own to Tamils trying to reach Australia.

Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison granted a permanent protection visa to a 15-year-old Ethiopian boy, after previously insisting the boy, who reached Australia by stowing away on a ship, would have his application rejected under a new ‘national interest’ test. 

Weekly media round-up No. 47

A document lodged with the High Court revealed that 153 asylum seekers whose boat was intercepted near Christmas Island remain on board an Australian Customs vessel. The document disclosed that the asylum seekers are being denied 'reasonable access' to legal advice and are unhappy about the conditions where they are being held.

At a directions hearing at the High Court in Melbourne, lawyers representing the Commonwealth stated that there were no plans to involuntarily return any asylum seekers to Sri Lanka, however the asylum seekers will remain on the ship until a decision has been made in regard to their processing location.

Papa New Guinean officials have not interviewed any suspects over the murder of Reza Barati, more than five months after his death. Tensions remained high at the Manus Island detention centre, resulting in two asylum seekers being confined by Wilson security staff.

Following reports that 15 asylum seekers absconded from community accommodation in South Australia, a group of school principals asked for more support for young asylum seekers attending school whilst in community detention. The police hunt for the 15 young people was brought to an end, as pressure continues to mount for the Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to account for their welfare.

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who is a Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), accepted an invitation to visit the island of Nauru. A spokesperson for the Nauru Government said that the visit will be a 'wonderful opportunity to showcase the facilities for refugees on Nauru, which we believe are the world's best practice.'

More than 1300 people from Canberra have called for a more 'humane and tolerant' policy to be adopted in relation to asylum seekers in Australia, in a statement that will be heard by federal MPs at Parliament House.

An asylum seeker who pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property was sentenced to an 18-month good behaviour bond.

Weekly media round-up No. 46

On Sunday 6 July the Australian Government returned 41 asylum seekers to Sri Lankan authorities. The asylum seekers’ claims were assessed at sea using the controversial ‘enhanced screening’ protocol, wherein a determination of possible refugee status is made on the basis of an on-board interview. Sri Lankan authorities said the asylum seekers face criminal charges and will be interrogated by officials from the country’s intelligence department. Australian legal scholars criticised the Australian Government’s handling of the episode.

In a separate incident, a High Court hearing on Tuesday 8 July confirmed an Australian customs vessel currently holds 153 asylum seekers on the high seas. The Australian Government said the asylum seekers were intercepted outside Australia’s migration zone and as such have no rights under the Australian Migration Act. Lawyers for the asylum seekers argued that repatriation would constitute a violation of Australia’s non-refoulement obligations. The full bench of the High Court will hear the matter within 21 days.

The Australian Government confirmed that ten women – including nine mothers – attempted suicide at Christmas Island. Refugee advocates said the mothers attempted suicide in the hope that their orphaned children would be granted permission to live in Australia. In response, Prime Minister Tony Abbot said the Government would not be held ‘over a moral barrel’. A leaked report showed a six-fold increase of self-harm in detention since the introduction of mandatory offshore resettlement.

The European Asylum Support Office released its annual report. The report said 435,760 persons applied for asylum in the European Union in 2013 - of these, approximately one third were granted refugee status.

Weekly media round-up No. 45

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison announced a proposal to apply a “national interest test” for permanent protection applications from people who arrive without a visa.  Refugee advocates have responded saying that a High Court challenge could be launched to refute the proposal.

There has been continued speculation about whether asylum seekers who left southern India on 13 June, and who appealed to refugee advocates last Friday, would be turned back to Sri Lanka. Human rights groups issued accusations that Australia breached international law amid reports that the Australian navy was deployed to pick up Tamil asylum seekers and hand them to the Sri Lankan authorities.

It is alleged that the asylum seekers’ claims were assessed through four questions on board via video link. The Guardian issued information from a former immigration department officer that the department has previously considered using Australian custom vessels to interview and process asylum seekers, but was advised the process could be unlawful.

Whether the vessels were turned around has not been confirmed. Sri Lankan and Indian authorities and government officials said they had not received any official information about this case, however The Australian reported that a Sri Lankan navy official claimed asylum seekers were picked up. The Australian Greens and the Labor immigration spokesman have called on the Prime Minister to give public details on the fate of the asylum seekers. A spokesman for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said that the department would not comment on operations. 

In a 3AW interview, Prime Minister Tony Abbott insisted Australia was acting legally within its international obligations. He said that turning boats around, returning asylum seekers to Sri Lanka and the rapid on-board screening process were all “in accordance with the international law”.

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) issued statistics that children account for the greatest percentage of self-harm incidents and suicidal behaviour by asylum seekers in detention. This was not confirmed by the International Health and Medical Services which is contracted to provide health care for asylum seekers in Australian detention. The AHRC also announced a third hearing for the commission’s inquiry into children in immigration detention, which would be held for “whistleblower employees” to give evidence.

PNG police are searching for a former Salvation Army employee, suspected of killing Reza Berati in the unrest in February on Manus Island, who has fled to PNG’s mainland. An asylum seeker who lost an eye during the riots has launched legal action against the federal government.

The ABC reported allegations that detainees in immigration detention facilities are put under pressure to 'volunteer' to go home before applying for asylum.

Weekly media round-up No. 44

The Abbott Government introduced a Bill which would toughen Australia’s approach to processing asylum seekers, including: changing the threshold for those seeking protection from a ‘real chance’ of significant harm should they be returned to ‘more likely than not’; requiring applicants to provide documentary evidence of their identity and nationality; and refusing visas unless the minister determines ‘ it is in the public interest'.

The Bill comes after the government offered Iraqi asylum seekers voluntary return packages valued at $6000, in a deal which Fairfax Media reported was taken up by fewer than 10 asylum seekers this month.

Footage emerged of a never shown message recorded in September last year from Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to asylum seekers detained on Papua New Guinea and Nauru. The Minister is heard to state, ‘ There are new rules in place under this government so I urge you to think carefully about your next decision and to make a decision to get on with the rest of your life and to not remain here and take the option to go back to the country from which you’ve originally come. ’ The footage follows an announcement by Operation Sovereign Borders commander Angus Campbell, who claimed that Australia is a generous country in relation to treatment of refugees.

A Senate inquiry into the deadly violence at the Manus Island detention centre in February produced evidence that Papua New Guinean police were given responsibility for taking control of the compound, contrary to previous statements from security company, G4S.

A boat allegedly containing 153 asylum seekers en route to Australia from India made contact with Australian media over the weekend, following a two week journey, with those on board stating that the boat was leaking and in need of assistance. Mr Morrison failed to make comment on the boat, and a second alleged boat interception off the coast of Indonesia, reporting that there were no significant incidents at sea.

Inside Story commented on the legal rights of babies who are born in detention and the health effects of detention on their mothers.

Weekly media round-up No. 43

Refugee week activities relating to the theme of ‘Restoring Hope’ raised awareness around issues affecting refugees. In 2013, there were with 51.2 million people displaced worldwide, six million more than in 2012. Over the same period, applications for asylum in Australia dropped by over 50%.

The High Court found that the Minister for Immigration does not have power to limit the number of resettlement visas issued within a specific financial year. In response, the government will seek to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas, a move that relies on the support of Labor and the Greens in order to be passed in the Senate.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and the Prime Minister Tony Abbott declared that it has been six months since the last irregular maritime arrival. The announcement follows a High Court decision upholding the right of the government to designate another nation to operate as a regional processing country. 

The Labor party debated and ultimately rejected a motion to reverse its support for the offshore processing of asylum seekers.

Following a series of revelations relating to the conditions of child detainees, UNICEF called for an independent body to monitor and report on the treatment of children held in Australian immigration detention.

The average time spent by asylum seekers in detention hit a record high in April 2014. Meanwhile, the ABC reported that the government is offering up to $10,000 as an inducement for asylum seekers to leave offshore processing centres and return to their home nations. The government further refused to provide assurances to Iraqi asylum seekers that they will not be returned to Iraq, despite the ongoing instability in the region.

A second Tamil asylum seeker attempted to self-immolate and was saved by housemates in Melbourne’s east. The man, who arrived in Christmas Island in December 2012, is on a bridging visa awaiting a decision as to his refugee application. The attempt follows the death of asylum seeker Leo Seemanpillai by self-immolation on 31 May.

On Nauru, three pregnant asylum seekers were transferred to Australia requesting abortions due to the harsh conditions inside the detention centre.

Weekly media round-up No.42

The Senate inquiry into the unrest at the Manus Island detention centre continued to hear witness testimony detailing the difficulties faced by asylum seekers in the compound. The inquiry was told that workers were given employment at the centre without an interview or training. Evidence given to the committee pointed to the Immigration Department retaining strategic control of the centre, despite its statements that the centre remains under the jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea.

Whistleblower Steve Kilburn articulated evidence that contradicted the official account of the events given by his former employer, G4S. Mr Kilburn warned the committee that he believed further violence would ensue if refugees were to be resettled on Manus Island.

The inquiry fell short of reviewing Immigration Minister Scott Morrison’s initial inaccurate comments surrounding the circumstances of the unrest – contrary to Mr Morrison’s previous declaration – which prompted the accusation that the Minister misled parliament. Mr Morrison’s claim that the processing of asylum seekers had begun weeks before the Manus Island unrest was also challenged by the release of a secret recording indicating processing had been frozen.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten labelled the former Labor government’s decision to dismantle the ‘Pacific Solution’ a mistake, stating that regional settlement of asylum seekers is the ‘best way to handle people who try to come to Australia.’

A report by KPMG found that the Department of Immigration is to blame for the data breach that exposed the personal details of almost 10,000 detainees.

The Age reported that two newborn babies and their families were shipped to Christmas Island detention centre, a location that is deemed inappropriate for young children by medical practitioners.

Large posters of sketches drawn by asylum seekers in detention or on bridging visas have appeared on buildings in Adelaide’s CBD.

Weekly media round-up No. 41

Tamil asylum seeker Leo Seemanpillai died after pouring petrol on himself and setting himself on fire in Geelong. Mr Seemanpillai lived in the community under a Temporary Protection Visa. Friends of Mr Seemanpillai linked his suicide to a fear of being deported to Sri Lanka. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said no one was in a position to speculate about Mr Seemanpillai’s reason for self-immolation.

Guards ended a week-long protest at the Christmas Island Detention Centre where four detainees were admitted to hospital. Detainees said guards used excessive force to break up the protest. Minister Morrison attributed the injuries to ‘non-compliant behaviour’.

An employee at the Nauru Detention Centre was dismissed for allegedly sexually assaulting a child asylum seeker, in an event that raises concerns for children in offshore detention. A Nauruan magistrate handed down a two year and five month jail term to an asylum seeker involved in a riot at the Nauru Detention Centre in July 2013. The magistrate said the sentence was intended to deter other asylum seekers in Nauru considering similar action.

The Australian Immigration Department sent a letter to asylum seekers facing deportation stating that they had 14 days to outline how the accidental online publication of personal details –  including names, nationality and dates of birth – could impact their safety in their home country. The letter further indicated that if the recipient does not respond within the given timeframe they will be ‘expected to depart Australia and removal planning will be progressed’.

An annual poll conducted by the Lowy Institute showed 71 per cent of Australians support the Australian Government’s boat turn-back policy.  Treasurer Joe Hockey said in Parliament, ‘As a result of all the action of this Government, there are no children floating in the ocean between Australia and East Timor’.

Weekly media round-up No. 24

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison introduced a new ‘Temporary Humanitarian Concern’ visa, which applies similar conditions to the now defunct temporary protection visa. Asylum seekers cannot apply for a permanent protection visa if they choose to accept an invitation to obtain a temporary one.

Mr Morrison refused to investigate claims that Australian navy personnel inflicted burns on asylum seekers by forcing them to place their hands on hot pipes.  The refusal comes after criticism of the ABC for airing unproven statements and the ABC’s subsequent testimony that the story could have been “more precise.”

 Prime Minister Tony Abbott hailed Operation Sovereign Borders a success, stating that an asylum seeker boat has not reached Australian shores in 50 days. The Australian government turned back its sixth asylum boat to Indonesia since the policy was introduced in December 2013. A video of the tow-back was received from Indonesian sources.

16 asylum seekers in Nauru charged with rioting in Nauru’s detention centre will have to wait to have their cases heard, following the sacking and deportation of the island nation’s only magistrate, Australian Peter Law.

 An illustrated representation of a former Serco employee’s experiences as a guard in an Australian detention centre was published in the Global Mail.

Weekly media round-up No. 17

Doctors on Christmas Island issued a letter of concern, illustrating problems around the medical procedures given to asylum seekers prior to being sent to an offshore facility. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison denied the receipt of the letter, despite claims that it had been with his department for two weeks.

 Scott Morrison proposed a new rule for asylum seekers in the community on bridging visas, stating that they may be sent back to detention for anti-social behaviour relating to disruptions caused by overcrowding in apartments.

 Mr Morrison also decided to overturn the freeze on the granting of protection visas for asylum seekers, after his previous announcement made earlier in December. The move follows an action by refugee lawyers to challenge Morrison's visa cap.

 A report by the Customs and Border Protection Service found that Australian authorities acted appropriately when it took them two days to co-ordinate a search and rescue effort for an asylum seeker boat seen near Christmas Island in June. It is believed that the 60 occupants of this vessel perished at sea.

Weekly media round-up No. 13

Relationships with Indonesia were strained by revelations Prime Minister Yudhuyono’s phone was targeted by Australian security officials in 2009. The diplomatic fallout of the past week cast doubt on the viability of the government’s asylum seeker policy, which relies on cooperation with Indonesia. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard urged Mr Abbott not to tap phones in future.

A senior Indonesian immigration official indicated that the government will cease surveillance aimed at stopping boat traffic. At the same time, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison assured the public that the Coalition’s policy will operate independently of Indonesia’s policy.

Mr Morrison predicted that the coming weeks would be a time of higher arrivals as people smugglers sought to launch attempts before the beginning of the monsoon season. 40 asylum seekers were rescued when the navy boat towing them toward Christmas Island damaged their vessel’s bow, making it unseaworthy.

ABC’s Four Corners revealed that people smugglers have been selling travel documents in Indonesia, allowing asylum seekers to fly into Australia on commercial flights, as opposed to arriving by boat. Meanwhile, during questioning at the Senate Estimates hearings, DIAC Secretary Martin Bowles revealed the cost of detaining asylum Seekers on Nauru and Manus Island was almost $1 billion this financial year.

Criticism of the government’s engagement with the media on asylum issues has continued. The challenge of maintaining secrecy around operational issues was highlighted this week, when the head of Operation Sovereign Borders, Angus Campbell, confirmed to a Senate committee that the boat buy-back scheme had been scrapped.

A Rohingyan woman delayed her return to Nauru after recently giving birth in a Brisbane hospital. 

Weekly media round-up No. 12

After a stand-off with Indonesia over an asylum boat, which reinforced the complexity of Australia’s relationship with the country, Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised that the government will not yield to people smugglers. In an apparent misinterpretation of the international law of the sea, the Prime Minister claimed that Jakarta should take responsibility for asylum seekers rescued by Australian authorities in Indonesia’s search and rescue zone. Despite reports that Indonesia accepted two asylum seeker boats in this situation, the country may seek to limit the size of its search and rescue area.

At this year’s CHOGM conference, Mr. Abbott announced that Australia will give Sri Lanka two retired navy patrol boats to assist with regulating people smuggling activity.

Last week, an asylum seeker boat carrying 163 passengers was confirmed to have arrived in Darwin. Federal Opposition frontbencher, Tony Burke, called for the government to release more information about boat arrivals.

Workers in offshore detention centres reported that conditions have worsened for asylum seekers as a direct result of the change of government. In response to reports that a female asylum seeker in Brisbane was separated from her new-born baby overnight, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said that it was “common practice” for this to occur.

The account of two journalists who attempted to experience the asylum seeker boat journey to Australia was published in the New York Times magazine.

Weekly media round-up No. 7

Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison made his first visit to Nauru, where he inspected the detention processing facility. Under Operation Sovereign Borders, pregnant women seeking asylum will give birth on the island. Mr. Morrison claimed that crime rates associated with asylum seekers in the community are rising, a factor that has led to ten people being stripped of bridging visas since the federal election.

Reports suggest people smuggling operations have reduced in activity due to the Coalition’s hardline immigration policy, which Mr. Morrison states will not change amid speculation after Tony Abbott’s visit to Indonesia. In Jakarta, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib  Razak affirmed his commitment to assist Australia to tackle asylum seeker issues.

The European Commission has called for the support of a proposed Mediterranean-wide patrol operation  in a bid to prevent refugee deaths at sea.

Liberal Democrats Senator-elect David Leyonhjelm predicts that Prime Minister Abbott’s immigration policy will fail and has recommended an approach that would see asylum seekers charged $50,000 for permanent residency in Australia.

Former Howard government immigration minister Amanda Vanstone claims asylum seekers are targeting the media to gain sympathy, and hence, entry into Australia.

Weekly media round-up No. 2

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has released a summary to help you understand where the parties contesting Saturday’s federal election stand on refugee issues.

The Coalition announced that it would no longer be funding legal appeals by refugees as part of its regional deterrence framework this week. In a last-minute announcement before the federal election tomorrow, Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the move will save taxpayers $100 million dollars over four years.

Scott Morrison has urged for the police to be notified before asylum seekers are released from detention into the community. Liberal candidate for the seat of Lindsay, Fiona Scott, has linked asylum seekers to traffic jams and hospital queues.

The Greens have noted an increase in party support as a result of voters being alienated by the stances of the major parties on asylum issues.

After the attempted suicide of a Somali teenager on Christmas Island, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship has denied access to the Somali community endeavouring to provide the boy with support.

As a response to the long and violent conflict in Syria, Sweden has announced that it will grant asylum to all Syrian refugees who apply. Tobias Billstroem, Sweden's Migration Minister has called for other countries to acknowledge the plight of the Syrian people.