In the media
Nauru and PNG
As Australians rallied in support of refugees on the ten year anniversary of the return to offshore processing, the 9 Media group revealed that Nauru detention contracts were awarded to a businessman who was under AFP investigation for corruption. ABC’s 7:30 ran a detailed overview of the issue and the Guardian raised concerns that Home Affairs may have misled the Senate. Parliamentary documents revealed that, in December 2021, Australia signed a confidential deal with Papua New Guinea whereby they would keep refugees there in exchange for funds. The current government refuses to release the details of the payments.
Detention
A federal judge found that, despite the harsh conditions of hotel detention, it was not illegal. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information showed 115 people were unlawfully detained in the last five years. A fire broke out at Villawood detention centre, forcing people to jump out their windows.
Protection Visas
Home Affairs data shows a doubling in the number of people who have claimed asylum after having arrived by plane in the last year. A person who has been on a temporary protection visa for 11 years, mostly without work rights, commenced a walk from Ballarat to Canberra to raise awareness of the plight of people in his situation.
International
Palestinians in a Jenin refugee camp lost their homes and cars from an aerial assault operation by the Israeli Defence Force amid the continued escalation in violence. The World Food Program announced a cut in food allowances to Syrian refugees in Jordan. The Hong Kong police announced bounties for the capture of eight democracy activists who fled the country, one of whom is Australian. Investigations into a deadly boat sinking in the Mediterranean suggest it may have been caused by Greek Coastguard attempts to tow the boat. The UK Parliament passed the Illegal Migration Bill, described as the country’s most extreme immigration legislation ever. Journalists in England toured a barge that will house asylum seekers off their coast.
In policy
The government announced an additional $2.6million in funding will be allocated to settlement service providers.
In research
Research found that detention more than doubles a person’s risk of PTSD. UNSW research concluded that securing temporary protection visas (labelled ‘medium security’) did not improve people’s mental wellbeing. The Melbourne Social Equity Institute’s annual conference on Migration, Refugees and Statelessness opened for registration. The UNSW Kaldor Centre advertised for two Visiting Fellowship positions, for people based in Sydney who have experienced displacement.