Monthly Wrap December 2022

In the media

Nauru and PNG

The first six people, under New Zealand’s resettlement scheme with Australia, arrived from Nauru. The Home Affairs Minister said that letters telling asylum seekers to leave Australia were sent in error. Her department disagreed.

Detention

Information provided to senate hearings and reported by the commonwealth Ombudsman revealed that, since 2018, around 170 places were designated as detention facilities, including 77 hotels. Eight asylum seekers were released after ten years in onshore immigration detention. Australian officials were questioned by the UN Committee Against Torture, at its November session. The former PM, Scott Morrison, secretly held the Home Affairs portfolio at the time that he told journalists that any decision about the Nadesalingam family was the responsibility of the relevant Minister.

Community

A Kurdish refugee captained Australia’s blind football team in their debut international tournament. Afghan refugees reflected on the experience of seeing their national cricket team compete at the MCG. Participants in a NSW bushwalking program shared how the program boosted their wellbeing.

United Nations

The UNHCR has called for refugees and displaced people to be given seats at COP28. It warned that Haiti is on the verge of collapse and urged countries not to forcibly return people there. Similarly it demanded countries not to forcibly return people to the Democratic Republic of Congo where ongoing violence has caused huge numbers of people to cross the border. The UNHCR appealed for more aid to support the more than 200,000 Burundian people who have returned home in the last five years. UNRWA warned that its ability to support Palestinian refugees has reached a crisis point. In the world’s most densely populated refugee camp, young people have led projects to improve the local environment.

International

The EU agreed a new migrant plan and is prepared for an increase in Ukrainian people seeking sanctuary over winter. Kenya’s move away from an encampment response to refugees has shown better self-reliance among refugees when they can choose where they stay and have work rights. First responders in Syria blamed Russia for deadly drone attacks on displaced persons camps. A whistleblower revealed that the UK Home Office is recruiting retail staff to conduct refugee interviews with little training and support. An asylum seeker sued the UK government over the condition of the reception centre where asylum seekers are accommodated on arrival. A person at the accommodation centre died in what is believed to be a case of diphtheria.

In policy

An Afghan man was invited to his citizenship ceremony, but then suddenly stripped of his permanent residency when the immigration department claimed that his original Afghan identity document was a fraud. The government announced that refugees on temporary protection visas would get more rights to travel overseas and those who came by boat before 19 July 2013, and have permanent residence, would no longer be the lowest priority when it came to family reunion applications. The government committed to prioritising protection applications from Myanmar nationals. A briefing document revealed that the former government was advised, in 2020, to develop an individualised risk assessment capability so that more people could be released from immigration detention. Additionally it revealed that the current government is considering electronic monitoring as an alternative to immigration detention. The Refugee Council of Australia published its annual report.

In research

Research by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and Human Rights Law Centre confirmed that asylum seekers on bridging visas were at a higher risk of labour exploitation. The Melbourne Social Equity Institute published the papers that were presented at the 2022 Migration, Statelessness and Refugees Interdisciplinary Conference.

Monthly Wrap October 2022

In the media

Offshore detention

The controversial US prison operator, set to take over garrison operations on Nauru, will be paid $42 million for 52 days preparatory work. Meanwhile the existing contractor, Canstruct International, will continue to receive payment for the same period. People still held on Nauru said they have lost all hope of a life. Former guards at the Manus Island detention centre agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement offer from the Australian government for harm caused during their work there. Fourteen refugees have been interviewed under the New Zealand resettlement program.

Detention

The UN subcommittee on the prevention of torture has been urged to investigate Australia’s practice of handcuffing of immigration detainees during off-site medical appointments. People in immigration detention spoke out about the violence and drug use in facilities and their fear for their safety.

International

Thai fishermen rescued 10 Rohingya refugees who were adrift at sea for some time, and found a further 41 Rohingya people stranded on an island. The Sri Lankan Guardian detailed the reasons behind an increase in the number of Sri Lankan people risking boat journeys. An increasing number of Somali refugees, who lived most of their life in Dadaab refugee camp, have returned to Somalia to try to make a new life. The Dutch government initiated a plan to house more than 1,000 asylum seekers and migrants on ships in response to a worsening accommodation crisis. Britain’s new Home Office Secretary pledged to end boat crossings to the UK. Former Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, was appointed to a panel to provide oversight of the UK’s controversial Rwanda transfer program.

In policy

As Australia’s asylum system was equated to a lottery, refugees who spent years offshore received letters stating that settlement in Australia is not an option and that they should apply for resettlement to New Zealand. Meanwhile, refugees who were resettled in Australia through a skilled refugee program urged the government to expand the successful program. Registrations for the 2022 UNSW Kaldor Centre Conference opened.

New releases

Forty Nights, a book by Pirooz Jafari, published by Ultimo Press.

Monthly Wrap September 2022

In the media

In detention

The ABC profiled the situation of a refugee, with an intellectual disability, who has been in detention since he was 15 years old, while his mother lives in the community. The government says that his ongoing detention is based on character grounds.

 In Court

A Federal Court judge ordered the government to reassess their refusal of a citizenship application which effectively caused a child to become stateless. The High Court agreed to hear an appeal by a convicted people smuggler who was denied a protection visa. The case will test whether Australia’s deterrence policy is punitive.

In Nauru

Leaked documents revealed that Wilson Security collected intelligence for the Australian government on the people detained in Nauru.  A company that runs prisons in America was awarded the contract for detention centre operations in Nauru.

In the community

SBS profiled business start-ups by refugees in Australia, highlighting the fact that they are more likely to start their own business than other migrant groups.   

International

NGOs in France argued that the lack of support to asylum seekers in France is causing people to attempt the channel crossing. The war in Ukraine and conflict in Myanmar appears to have caused the Japanese government to consider accepting more refugees. Refugees in Cameroon will get national ID cards that will enable them to access basic services including education, banking and healthcare. Documents revealed that of the 16,000 people who were issued with notices of their potential removal under the UK’s new inadmissibility policy, only 21 were removed have been removed.

In policy

MP Andrew Wilkie re-introduced the Ending Indefinite and Arbitrary Immigration Detention bill to Parliament and MP Dai Le said she will push the government to increase the humanitarian quota and speed up refugee processing. Advocates called for the government to implement measures that will enable skilled asylum seekers already in Australia to more easily contribute to the workforce shortage. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, more than 211,000 people  applied for resettlement to Australia. Australia welcomed the first group of refugees under the new community sponsorship program. An Australian former refugee co-founded a global organisation that advocates for refugees to have direct input into policies that affect them.  

In research

The Refugee Council of Australia published its review of access to asylum, its first report under the new global Refugee Response Index. The UNSW Kaldor Centre released a Data Lab containing data on Tribunal and Court matters concerning asylum seekers and refugees. The Comparative Network on Refugee Externalisation Policies (CONREP) published a paper into the harmful narratives used to discuss refugees, and proposed a better way forward. The Refugee Law Initiative published the webinars from their 2022 conference. Michelle Foster and Cathryn Costello examined the question of differing reactions to refugee situations against international law that prohibits discrimination. The Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness opened registrations for their 2023 intensive course.

New releases

Unpacking the Australian offshore processing policy, an episode in the Australia: Inside Out podcast, published by Menzies Australia Institute, Kings College London.

Monthly Wrap July 2022

In the media
Ukraine
The UNHCR data portal on the Ukraine situation shows of the 7.7 million people who left Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, more than 2.5 million have returned. Australians have welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes. A number of them are exploring job opportunities in rural areas.

Post-Detention
As the Nadesalingam family returned to Biloela, it was revealed that the previous government made a last minute attempt to deport the family. Other people who have endured protracted limbo took heart that they too could secure more certainty. SBS caught up with the last group of men who were released from the Park hotel detention facility to find out how they were getting on.

Nauru

Refugees who remain stranded on Nauru face chronic food shortages amid a Covid-19 outbreak.

Community
Sister Brigid Arthur was awarded an AO for her dedication to vulnerable asylum seekers in Victoria. Newly arrived Afghans with professional backgrounds have resorted to labouring jobs after not getting opportunities in their areas of expertise.

Court
Peter Dutton MP filed a request to the High Court to examine the appeal that overturned the defamation ruling in his case against a refugee advocate. He argued that the case raise questions about the meaning that social media users give to words.

International
The UNHCR accepted NGO demands to cease using the term ‘people of concern’ in their work. It also published its 2021 Global Trends report on the situation of refugees and displaced people. A summary of the key trends can be found on our Global Statistics page. For the first time the Refugee Law Initiative adopted a Declaration on International Protection. Members of the Eritrean under-20 women’s football team remain in hiding in Uganda 7 months after they competed in a tournament there. The first flight to transfer asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda was abandoned after the European Court of Human Rights intervened.

In policy

Clare O’Neil was announced Home Affairs Minister and Andrew Giles as the Immigration, Citizenship, Multicultural Services and Multicultural Affairs Minister. The UNSW Kaldor Centre published a policy brief proposing an overhaul of Australia’s use of temporary protection visas and hosted a panel discussion on Australia’s refugee policy since the 2001 rescue of asylum seekers by the MV Tampa. Father Rod Bower reflected on the moral injury implications for Australians from our treatment of asylum seekers. Abul Rizvi, former Immigration Deputy Secretary, argued that the sustained focus on boat arrivals detracts attention from the fact that agents have systematically brought people to Australia on tourist visas, submitted bogus asylum claims and put them to work in agriculture in the knowledge that their claim would take years to be finalised.

In research

New research shows Australians overwhelmingly support maintaining or increasing our humanitarian intake. A study that tracked refugees over the first 5 years of their resettlement found that the amount of community support and acceptance they received affected the level of psychological distress they experienced during their adjustment to Australia. A review of 64 studies into the mental health outcomes of Syrian refugees found a high prevalence of mental disorder, but insufficient focus on the factors that led to improved mental health, especially post-resettlement.

New releases

Stateless, a short film detailing the situation of Rohingya people. An analysis of the debate surrounding the film was published on the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness Blog.  

The Criminalisation of People Smuggling in Indonesia and Australia. Asylum out of reach, by Antje Missbach published by Routledge.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder, a two-part Earshot series on the man who won a habeas corpus case (alias AJL20), published by ABC Radio National.

Monthly Wrap June 2022

In the media

Nauru and PNG

Leaked Nauru police correspondence showed a disregard for the wellbeing of refugees. Several former detention guards agreed a multimillion dollar settlement with G4S Security over the psychological harm caused by the violent incident in 2014 that resulted in the death of a refugee in the Manus Island detention centre.

Community

Safdar Ahmed, an artist with lived experience of Australia’s immigration detention regime, won the NSW Multicultural Award for his novel Still Alive. Mostafa Azimitabar, who was detained by Australia for 8 years, was nominated for the Archibald Prize. A refugee advocate successfully appealed a defamation decision that resulted from a case that was brought by Peter Dutton.

International

The UNHCR welcomed New Zealand’s acceptance of a review into immigration detention that found their current regime is at odds with their human rights obligations. The European Commission published the 2021 statistics on asylum claims in Europe. A UN aid conference secured pledges totalling $6.7 billion for displaced Syrians and the countries hosting them. The Turkish government announced plans to build 200,000 homes in northern Syria in an attempt to encourage refugees, currently in Turkey, to return home. Refugees in Switzerland conducted the second sitting of the Refugee Parliament where they debated issues and policies that directly affect them. The relocation of asylum seekers from UK to Rwanda was delayed due to legal challenges by charities and unions representing Home Office staff. 600 Ukrainian refugees in the UK’s Homes for Ukraine program were moved into hotels because the housing they were placed in was unsafe or inappropriate.

An estimated 75 people drowned when their boat capsized off the Tunisian coast. Around 2,500 people a week have crossed the border into Niger in recent months as conflict and security have become a serious problem in neighbouring countries. Canada aims to close a loophole in their Safe Third Country agreement with America that has enabled asylum seekers to cross into the country via Roxham Road, Quebec.

In policy

The change of government will enable 19,000 recognised refugees who are on temporary protection visas to apply for permanent residence. The incoming government confirmed the youngest child in the Murugappan family will be issued a bridging visa, which will enable the family to return to Biloela. A review will be conducted into election day text messages sent by the then government about a boat approaching Australia. During the election campaign an Afghan woman begged the then PM Scott Morrison to help evacuate her family and the BBC queried whether the release of refugees from long-term detention was an election tactic. The Greens have called for a royal commission into offshore detention.

A charity operating a refugee school in West Java reported that children were given playing cards promoting Australia’s ‘Zero Chance’ campaign against entry by boat into Australia. The Law Report discussed the High Court’s interpretation of the obligation to consider protection concerns of people who have served their prison sentences and face a serious risk of harm if they are deported to their country of origin.

In research

The Danish Institute for Human Rights published a detailed analysis of agreement between the UK and Rwanda. It compares the arrangement to similar policies elsewhere and how it sits within the context of Safe Third Country principles and obligations under international law.

New releases

Hope, Solidarity & Death At The Australian Border: Asylum Seekers & Christmas Island, by Dr Michelle Dimasi, published by Cambridge Scholars publishing 

Sending Aya Back: the Syrian teen facing deportation in Denmark, a documentary published by The Guardian

Monthly Wrap March 2022

In the media

Detention

Advocates continued to call for the immediate release of refugees in immigration detention as the average duration of detention reached a new record of 689 days. The government confirmed an in principle agreement to accept New Zealand’s longstanding offer to take in refugees who were held in offshore detention. Some refugees have withdrawn from the USA resettlement process because their spouses, also refugees, are not guaranteed to be accepted through the program. Financial reports show that the company contracted to run Australia’s detention operations in Nauru made more than $500,000 profit per person held there. 

Afghanistan

The ABC detailed the contrasting experience of Afghan refugees who were evacuated by Australia and those who entered Australia by boat. The full Federal Court allowed an appeal by the government who aim to deport a Hazara man to Afghanistan. Afghan orphans with Australian links are among those who remain trapped in Afghanistan. Afghan evacuees in the UK remain in hotel accommodation due to bureaucratic issues whereby rental assistance is terminated for anyone who finds their own accommodation outside of the council housing process.

International

European countries have opened their borders to Ukrainian refugees as a surge is expected following the Russian invasion. Journalists who fled Myanmar following the coup detailed their difficult journey to reach safety in Australia. Cameroonian asylum seekers who were deported from the USA have experienced abuse on return. Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia’s Afar region were killed amidst the ongoing conflict between Tigrayan and government forces. The British Home Secretary was criticised for commissioning Alexander Downer to review their Border Force because of his role in establishing Australia’s offshore detention program.

In policy

The federal government commenced fast tracking of visa applications from Ukrainians and state governments committed support to Ukrainian refugees who are resettled in Australia. More than 40 local councils across Australia united to call on the next government to finalise the asylum claims of more than 100,000 people who have been years for permanent protection.

Monthly Wrap February 2022

In the media

In PNG and Nauru

The government awarded a $218 million contract extension to Canstruct for detention operations in Nauru over the next 6 months. It is the eighth non-competitive contract awarded to the company. Canstruct’s parent company was issued a warning by ASIC for failing to lodge financial reports on time. After extensive pandemic-related delays the resettlement of refugees to Canada commenced.

In court

The Federal Circuit Court ruled that the Immigration Minister’s decision to deny Priya, Nades and Kopika Murugappan the right to apply for further bridging visas was procedurally unfair.

In detention

Hobart City Council passed a resolution calling for the refugees in hotel detention to be resettled there. This follows Novak Djokovic’s detention which brought worldwide attention to their plight. The Prime Minister was accused of lying when he said the men in the detention hotel were not refugees. Recently the men detained there claimed they were given mouldy bread and food with maggots. Religious leaders across all faiths called for the immediate release of refugees and asylum seekers from detention.

International

The EU established a new agency to ensure a consistent application of common standards governing the treatment of asylum seekers. A cyberattack on the International Committee of the Red Cross headquarters exposed the data of more than 500,000 displaced people. Hazara refugees in Indonesia engaged in serious self-harm to bring attention to their plight on the tenth anniversary of their wait for resettlement. Albania was acknowledged as one of the most generous EU countries, on per capita terms, in its response to people fleeing the 2021 Taliban takeover. A former Danish Immigration Minister was given a prison sentence for separating couples where the female was a minor at the time they sought asylum. A judge in the UK High Court ruled that the age assessment procedures, used on young asylum seekers in the UK, are unlawful.

In policy

The release of the 2001 cabinet papers showed the government was worried about the arrival of asylum seekers by boat some months before the so-called Tampa incident. At the Royal Commission into veteran suicides, a naval officer recounted the ongoing impact of trauma stemming from their efforts to save people on sinking boats. The UNSW Kaldor Centre published a policy brief that recommends strategies to ensure that pandemic-related airport procedures do not inhibit people’s legal right to seek asylum. The Australian government was condemned for creating a film-making competition in Sri Lanka for short films to deter Sri Lankans from seeking asylum in Australia. A former Senior Medical Officer in the detention camp in Nauru spoke about his time there.

In research

A new study details how the protracted nature of refugee status determination in Australia adds to people’s housing, financial and health vulnerability.

New releases

The Manus Story: Rebecca Lim in conversation with Dr Fotina Hardy; a podcast.