Since the reinstatement of offshore processing for asylum seekers was announced in August 2012, there has been much debate around whether the government’s ‘circuit breaker plan to reduce the current surge in irregular migration to Australia’ has been successful. What seems most notably absent from all political discourse currently around offshore processing, is the lack
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The plan to detain asylum seekers for processing on Nauru and Manus Island has failed even before the first detainee has arrived. The belief that this policy could be effective was built upon the false premise that the first ‘Pacific Solution’, implemented under the Howard government was effective in deterring boat arrivals. In fact boat
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The Contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence, on refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened in the sense of article 1, enter or are present in their territory without authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities and
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The announcement by the Gillard Government that asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia will be granted Bridging Visas to live in the community heralds the beginning of a more humane approach towards asylum seekers. An approach that has been advocated for by academics, human rights defenders, grassroots organizations, medical and mental health experts, religious
Read moreThe detention system in Australia is broken. Last night’s Four Corners program showed graphically how the current detention policy is destroying people’s mental health. There is a solution. It is being done in a small way right now. The ASRC is calling for an immediate extension of onshore, community based processing. We are doing it
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