In the media
Detention
A man, who cannot be returned to Egypt, faces indefinite detention on the basis of an ASIO assessment that he is a security risk. He is not allowed to see the information that ASIO has on him. Another man remains in detention two months after the AAT ruled that his visa should not have been cancelled. As a result, he missed the birth of his baby.
In the community
The number of people in Australia, who are awaiting a decision on their refugee claim or have had their claim rejected, reached a record 100,000. Asylum Insight’s recent explainer detailed some of the complications that delay or prevent refused asylum seekers from being deported. The Daily Telegraph published a story on how a security guard at the detention centre in Nauru fell in love with a refugee detained there. Their future remains uncertain while she remains on a bridging visa. Refugees living in a Melbourne accommodation complex, owned by St Vincents Care Services, were advised the units will be demolished at the end of the year.
International
Following the UK government’s introduction of controversial asylum policies, the BBC hosted a panel discussion on whether the asylum system is broken. The Danish Refugee Appeals Board declared the Syrian province of Latakia is safe for the return of refugees. More drownings occurred in March as people attempted crossings to Europe. Over a 4-week period around 100,000 Somali people fled into Ethiopia amid violent clashes and severe drought in their homeland. Thousands of refugees in a camp in Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) lost everything when a large fire ripped through the camp. The UNHCR called for support to the countries neighbouring Venezuela where more than 6 million Venezuelans have moved in recent years.
In policy
The Refugee Council of Australia facilitated the creation of the inaugural Parliamentary Friends of Refugees group, with independent MP Zoe Daniel as the inaugural Chair. The Greens party’s ‘Evacuation to Safety’ bill was defeated in Parliament. The Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness will host a presentation by Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner, Gillian Triggs, set out practical measures that governments could take to reduce the risk of refugees drowning at sea without compromising border security.
In research
Researchers found strong support among Australians and New Zealanders for the resettlement of Rohingya people. The data was extracted from a large global survey into attitudes towards various issues. Advocates have called for increased protection of Ukrainian refugees after a study found a significant increase in viewership of pornography that claims to involve Ukrainian refugees over the last six months.
New releases
Freedom, Only Freedom: the Prison Writings of Behrouz Boochani, published by Bloomsbury.