Immigration Minister Scott Morrison introduced a new ‘Temporary Humanitarian Concern’ visa, which applies similar conditions to the now defunct temporary protection visa. Asylum seekers cannot apply for a permanent protection visa if they choose to accept an invitation to obtain a temporary one.
Mr Morrison refused to investigate claims that Australian navy personnel inflicted burns on asylum seekers by forcing them to place their hands on hot pipes. The refusal comes after criticism of the ABC for airing unproven statements and the ABC’s subsequent testimony that the story could have been “more precise.”
Prime Minister Tony Abbott hailed Operation Sovereign Borders a success, stating that an asylum seeker boat has not reached Australian shores in 50 days. The Australian government turned back its sixth asylum boat to Indonesia since the policy was introduced in December 2013. A video of the tow-back was received from Indonesian sources.
16 asylum seekers in Nauru charged with rioting in Nauru’s detention centre will have to wait to have their cases heard, following the sacking and deportation of the island nation’s only magistrate, Australian Peter Law.
An illustrated representation of a former Serco employee’s experiences as a guard in an Australian detention centre was published in the Global Mail.