On 10 June 2026, the High Court handed down the decision of Abdel-Hady v Commonwealth of Australia [2026] HCA 17. It is an important decision that leaves the Commonwealth open to tort and damages claims from people who have been indefinitely and unlawful detained in onshore immigration detention. Background Abdel-Hady is an unlawful non-citizen who
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Senada Suljagic’s connection to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) stretches back 25 years to the early days of the organisation, when it operated out of a small, hole-in-the-wall shop in Footscray. Senada recently attended a fundraising dinner at the ASRC where it is now, across the road from that little shop, and when she
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Six months ago, Mina arrived in Australia from Iran with her two children, Lila and Omid. She brought almost nothing with her, just one suitcase and the weight of a future she was trying to rebuild. “I still carry the feeling that those goodbyes may not be temporary,” Mina wrote. “We packed one suitcase and
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This National Volunteer Week, we’re celebrating the people who have helped shape the ASRC community over the past 25 years. Volunteers have always been at the heart of the ASRC. Long before the organisation grew into what it is today, volunteers were answering phones, welcoming people through the doors, packing food parcels and helping create
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Need help from the ASRC? Call 03 9326 6066 or visit us: Mon-Tue-Thur-Fri 10am -4pm. Closed on Wednesdays.