Category Archives: Australian immigration and asylum

Have we, Australia, become a country that breeds mass murderers with our words? | Richard Flanagan

Posted on by

We are better than our politicians’ dark fears. We are not their hate. We are optimistic about a country built on openness

I have only ever heard Behrouz Boochani’s voice through speakers. One day, he will stand here before us, and we will hear and see him in the flesh. As a free human being. And I am here today to say that day is coming.

Because change is coming. You can feel it, you sense it. It is coming and it will not be denied. But it needs us to fight for it and to keep fighting for it, and we need to fight for it, not only for the refugees of Manus and Nauru, but for our own salvation.

Continue reading...

Only one person has been transferred under medevac law, refugee advocates say

Posted on by

As the new process for bringing sick refugees to Australia faces unexplained delays, others who have come are being held under guard in hotels

More than a month after the medevac bill passed the Australian parliament, just one person is believed to have been transferred under the law.

The Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force refuse to say how many transfers have occurred, but according to advocates and detainees only one of more than 25 people brought to Australia for treatment in recent weeks has been under the new law.

Continue reading...

Penny Wong warns racism and hate speech in parliament threaten democracy

Posted on by

Labor senator says those who ‘see political or commercial advantage in heightening cynicism’ are diminishing civic life

Penny Wong will say that “racism is a threat to our democracy” in a speech taking aim at those who see “political or commercial advantage” in increased cynicism towards public institutions.

The Labor senator is set to warn that hate speech and extremist views in parliament and a “lack of unity in response to these” have harmed democracy, pointing the finger in part at the Coalition for its tardy response to condemn One Nation in the 45th parliament.

Continue reading...

Australia cancels Milo Yiannopoulos’s visa after Christchurch comments

Posted on by

Immigration minister says remarks by far-right figure were ‘appalling and foment hatred and division’

The Australian government has cancelled the visa of far-right commentator Milo Yianopoulos just a week after it was personally approved by the immigration minister.

Immigration minister David Coleman said on Saturday that comments about Islam made by Yiannopoulos in the wake of the Christchurch massacre were “appalling and foment hatred and division” and he would not be allowed in the country.

Continue reading...

Scott Morrison leads PR sortie to reopened Christmas Island

Posted on by

PM hints it is possible asylum seekers with serious medical emergencies will still be treated in Australia

Scott Morrison has indicated it is possible that asylum seekers with serious medical emergencies will continue to be treated in Australia, while taking a pool of reporters to Christmas Island to showcase the facilities the government has reopened at an estimated cost of $1.4bn over four years.

The prime minister led reporters on a tour of the Christmas Island facilities on Wednesday. When pressed about why he was on the remote island, with reporters in tow, for what was self-evidently an expensive public relations sortie, Morrison declared it was “important for Australians to know this facility is up to the job”.

Continue reading...

Julian Burnside takes on Josh Frydenberg as Greens candidate for Kooyong

Posted on by

The refugee advocate sets up a four-way contest with the treasurer, Liberal-turned-independent Oliver Yates and Labor

The human rights lawyer and refugee advocate Julian Burnside will run as the Greens candidate for Kooyong at the next election.

In a statement that appeared in Nine newspapers and the Australian on Tuesday the prominent barrister said he would take on the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, in the blue-ribbon Liberal seat because he believes the “political system is broken”.

Continue reading...

The medevac bill is law: what does that mean for ailing offshore refugees?

Posted on by

A diversion to Christmas Island, a change of law on Nauru and other complications may hinder the ability to provide care

When the medevac bill – which on Friday became law – passed parliament, it was intended to create a streamlined process to get sick refugees and asylum seekers into the medical care they needed in Australia, because it wasn’t available on Manus Island or Nauru.

The government expressed concerns the bill could lead to weakened borders and national security. Amendments to the bill gave the minister 72 hours to assess a transfer referral which, if he or she refused, would be sent to an independent medical panel. The panel could override a minister’s refusal on health grounds but the minister has the final veto if there are security issues surrounding the patient.

Continue reading...

Last four refugee children leave Nauru for resettlement in US

Posted on by

Move follows intense campaign by refugee advocates for all children sent to the island by the Australian government to be taken off

The last four children living in Australian government-run offshore processing on Nauru have now left the island, amid a group of 19 people flown to the US for resettlement.

The group includes a number of Iranians, according to refugee advocates, contradicting persistent suspicions that Donald Trump’s travel ban on six nationalities was blocking refugees from the resettlement scheme.

Continue reading...

‘Hockey owes me’ – Penny Wong releases bombshell Helloworld email – politics live

Posted on by

Senate estimates hears startling email about Joe Hockey’s meeting with travel agency representative. All the day’s events, live

Labor is persisting with Helloworld, and the evidence given by Dfat officials this morning. Can the prime minister confirm officials were unaware before the meeting that Joe Hockey had a major shareholding in Helloworld, and not told about the conflict of interest until after the meeting?

Christopher Pyne hides behind the secretary of Dfat, Frances Adamson.

The committee has moved on to Rex Patrick asking Dfat questions about Julian Assange.

Continue reading...

Australian government security contractor Paladin breaks silence on corruption allegations

Posted on by

Company that was awarded $423m to provide services on Manus Island says reports linking it to bad debts are ‘offensive’ and ‘unsubstantiated’

Security contractor Paladin has broken its silence to attack suggestions of corruption as “offensive”, while rejecting reports linking it to a series of bad debts or failed contracts across Asia.

The firm said it is seeking legal advice about media articles it said had “failed to identify any evidence to sustain the damaging allegations being made against Paladin”.

Continue reading...

Labor demands investigation into ministers Cash and Keenan over AFP raid on AWU – politics live

Posted on by

Earlier Mathias Cormann admitted he books holidays by calling CEO of travel company, who is also Liberal party treasurer, directly. All the day’s events live

Wayne Swan is on his feet, talking about his career, which included eight election wins and one loss, since 1993. Or as he describes it, enough days to cover almost four continuous years of parliament.

Wayne Swan says yesterday was his 35th wedding anniversary, and two hours ago, he became a grandfather again.

So it’s a good week to be Wayne Swan.

Continue reading...

Home affairs denies it was ‘desperate’ when $423m Manus Island contract awarded

Posted on by

Mike Pezzullo admits department faced ‘urgent’ circumstances when deal done with little known firm Paladin

The head of the department of home affairs concedes bureaucrats awarded a controversial $423m contract to Paladin to provide services on Manus Island because of an “urgent” set of circumstances, but Mike Pezzullo denies he was “desperate”.

Officials from the home affairs department told estimates on Monday they were, in essence, forced to conduct a closed tender process for the contract because the government of Papua New Guinea advised the then Turnbull government in July it could not provide services it had signalled it would provide because it had entered a caretaker period.

Continue reading...

Labor issues please explain over Paladin’s $420m Manus contract

Posted on by

Penny Wong says it’s ‘deeply concerning’ a company with ‘such a poor track record’ was awarded a lucrative sum through closed tender

Penny Wong has indicated Labor will target the Paladin offshore detention security contract in Senate estimates this week, accusing the government of failing to explain why the company was awarded $420m in contracts through closed tender.

The Australian Financial Review has reported that Paladin Group’s $420m of contracts to provide security to refugees on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea was extended by the home affairs department in January after a closed tender process.

Continue reading...

Scott Morrison says people smugglers will ‘have a crack’ if Labor is elected

Posted on by

Bill Shorten dismisses PM’s comments, saying it’s possible to have strong borders and treat people humanely

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has sent out a fresh message on border security, saying “people smugglers know they won’t get through me and Peter Dutton” but would “have a crack” if Bill Shorten became prime minister.

Morrison said the government had “increased the strength, resource and capability again of Operation Sovereign Borders” after the asylum seeker medevac legislation passed parliament this week, in spite of the Coalition’s best efforts to block it.

Continue reading...

Pakistan intervenes in case of man facing deportation from Australia

Posted on by

High commission urges early redress for Nauroze Anees, citing his ‘uncomfortably prolonged detention’

Pakistan’s high commission has called for early redress for one of its citizens held in “overstretched and uncomfortably prolonged detention” in Australia’s onshore immigration facilities.

The man, a 32-year-old who arrived in 2007 on a student visa, has been refused ministerial intervention in his case, despite acting as the primary carer for his partner. He is among the growing cohort of people inside detention on section 501 “character test” deportation orders.

Continue reading...

Labor starts fightback on border security as medical evacuation bill passes Senate – as it happened

Posted on by

Labor, the Greens, Tim Storer, Derryn Hinch and the Centre Alliance vote in favour of the refugee transfer legislation. This blog has now closed.

That is where we will leave you today. It’s been a big week and after the last few days, I think we all need a bex and a lie down.

Obviously, for me, when I say bex, I mean vodka, but insert whatever self-care aid is necessary.

From the valedictories

Continue reading...

High court rejects attempt to challenge Australia’s indefinite detention regime

Posted on by

Plaintiff’s lawyers wanted to suspend case after argument about his identity came unstuck in Canberra high court

The high court has rejected an attempt to reopen a controversial ruling which effectively enabled indefinite immigration detention in Australia.

The full bench in Canberra took the highly unusual step of delivering an immediate judgement, after a tumultuous day which saw the plaintiff’s lawyers seek to stop them hearing the case and have it sent back to a single judge for reassessment.

Continue reading...

Medical evacuation bill still alive with Phelps open to amendments – politics live

Posted on by

Key crossbencher Kerryn Phelps indicates she would consider Labor’s changes to the medevac legislation. All the day’s events, live

The PMO has released the transcript of Scott Morrison’s doorstop this morning:

JOURNALIST: Prime minister, if you lose the medevac bill today, why should you not drive to Government House and call an election?

You may remember from Luke’s report yesterday, that David de Garis declined to answer how he found out about the AWU raid. Looks like shiz is about to get reeeal interesting in the federal court.

Justice Bromberg has ruled Michaelia Cash's former media adviser David De Garis will have to give evidence about who tipped him off that federal police were set to raid the AWU's offices. #auspol

Continue reading...

Labor caucus signs off on medical evacuations bill – as it happened

Posted on by

Labor has been holding talks all day and has agreed on three principles. All the day’s events, live

And that is where we are going to call it quits tonight.

But fear not – we’ll be back in about 12 hours. It is going to be that sort of year, me thinks.

Scott Morrison and Marise Payne will hold a press conference at 8.45 tonight to talk about Hakeem al-Araibi.


Continue reading...

Hakeem-al Arabi: Thai cave diving heroes Harris and Challen call for footballer’s release

Posted on by

The divers, who were named 2019 Australians of the Year, have written to the Thai prime minister to free the refugee

The Thailand cave rescue diving heroes and Australians of the Year, Dr Richard Harris and Dr Craig Challen, have joined the campaign to save the refugee footballer Hakeem-al Arabi, a Bahraini refugee and resident of Australia who is being detained in Bangkok.

Harris, an anaesthetist and diver from Adelaide, and Challen, a champion diver from Wangara, Western Australia, were part of the global team that freed the trapped Wild Boars football team in July 2018. They have been friends and cave diving partners for years.

Continue reading...