Immigration minister Peter Dutton’s claims about an altercation between asylum seekers and PNG police on Good Friday at the Manus Island detention centre were disputed again. An anonymous Border Force officer who witnessed the event said that there was no connection between the shooting and an earlier incident involving a young boy. The investigation is ongoing.
More than 1600 refugees and transferees on Manus Island and Nauru expressed interest in the Australia-US resettlement deal, which is expected to offer 1250 places. Immigration officials said that the most vulnerable of the group will be given priority, including women, children and families. Documents released by the immigration department reveal that the federal government has spent an additional $22 million in supporting the deal.
A report by the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law concluded that asylum seeker boat turnbacks practised in Australia and Europe are illegal under international law and do not deter people from making dangerous journeys. Turnback policies continue to have bipartisan support in Australia.
Former immigration minister Ian Macphee said that the power accorded to current ministers regarding asylum seekers is unjust and unchecked. The comments come in a report by Liberty Victoria’s Rights Advocacy Project that warns against the dramatic rise in the personal discretions and legal powers of the immigration minister.
A Federal Court in Melbourne ordered that immigration minister Peter Dutton revisit the refugee application of a Syrian man he wanted to deport. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection is considering whether to appeal the decision.