Cross-bench Senators have the opportunity to deliver a common sense, fair approach to processing the refugee claims of the almost 30,000 asylum seekers living in Australia, by voting against the Government’s plan to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas. “Offering refugees temporary protection only is unfair and destabilising, because it denies them the opportunity to settle properly
Read moreImmigration Minister Scott Morrison must be held to account for the latest tragedy on Manus Island, as 24-year-old Iranian man Hamid Kehazaei lies on life support in a Brisbane Hospital. Mr Morrison side-stepped responsibility for the death of Reza Berati on Manus Island in February this year. He cannot side-step responsibility for this second tragic
Read moreImmigration Minister Scott Morrison is relegating 30,000 asylum seekers to a life of ongoing uncertainty and mental distress by refusing to process their refugee claims until the Senate allows Temporary Protection Visas. The re-introduction of TPVs would be a punitive and harmful measure destined to create an underclass of refugees prevented from properly rebuilding their
Read moreMinister Scott Morrison’s decision to release 150 children and their families from mainland detention centres as they wait for their refugee claims to be heard is a small, but positive step towards the humane treatment of asylum seekers. However, with this decision only extending to children under ten years of age, 745 children will remain
Read moreKon Karapanagiotidis Two images from the weekend have stuck in my head. The first was of a sprawling, dusty camp, housing thousands upon thousands of Syrian refugees. After years of conflict, 2.5 million Syrians are currently refugees and another 6.5 million are displaced within the country. Imagine almost half of Australia’s population forced to flee
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