Amnesty International released a report revealing that people fleeing Syria are being turned back at the Jordanian border. UNHCR Coordinator for Middle East and North Africa has estimated that that conflict may generate up to 5 million refugees.
Responding to the concerns of other European Union countries, Serbia has vowed to step up its efforts to prevent people lodging ‘false’ claims for asylum. Italy’s coast guard has rescued around 700 refugees in a 24-hour period.
The Australian reports that authorities in Nauru have processed just one application for asylum in over a year. Indonesia has agreed to increase its naval patrols in an effort to detect and disrupt people smuggling operations. Demand for people smugglers has reportedly dropped in Indonesia.
The immigration department released its annual report. The report reveals that five people died in immigration detention in the 2012/13 financial year.
Two refugees detained indefinitely as a result of adverse security assessments have attempted suicide in the past fortnight. The immigration department has agreed to implement the recommendations of the Commonwealth Immigration Ombudsman’s report on self-harm and suicide in detention centres, released in May 2013.
The immigration minister has denied reports that two asylum seekers in Darwin were transferred to Christmas Island as a result of talking to the media.
The Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, is meeting with Iranian officials to discuss the repatriation of Iranian nationals who have lodged unsuccessful claims for asylum in Australia. Almost a third(p7) of detainees in Australia’s immigration detention network are Iranian.
The University of New South Wales launched the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law.
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