Weekly media wrap – 7 September 2015

Images of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a Turkish beach, led to a shift in the European mood surrounding the Syrian refugee crisis. British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his nation would take thousands more Syrian refugees. The Prime Minister of Finland offered his country home as a refuge for asylum seekers.

These events have placed renewed pressure on the Australian Government to increase its refugee intake. Several prominent members of the Australian Liberal party – including Agricultural Minister Barnaby Joyce and NSW Premier Mike Baird – have come out in favour of increased resettlement of Syrian refugees.

The Opposition are calling for a one-off boost of 10,000 permanent refugee places to deal with the Syrian humanitarian crisis. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government will accommodate more Syrian refugees within the current quota of 13,750. 

The New York Times published an editorial criticising Australia’s asylum seeker boat turn-back and offshore detention policies. The article labeled these policies as ‘unconsciounable’, ‘inhumane’ and ‘of dubious legality’. Immigration minister Peter Dutton responded by calling the government’s actions lawful and effective.

Robert Cornall, who authored the inquiry into Reza Barati’s death, will review the status of more than 30 asylum seekers with adverse ASIO security assessments currently in detention in Australia.

Read the Kaldor Centre’s Weekly News Roundup. 

Weekly media round-up No. 38

The 2014 Federal Budget released on 13 May contained a number of measures regarding asylum seekers.

The budget claimed an expected cost of $563.1 million in support services over the next five years for asylum seekers currently being processed in Australia. There is an additional $149.9 million over five years to process a backlog of claims and removals, and $27.3 million over two years for unaccompanied minors who will receive extra supervision.

The budget confirmed a new agency called Australian Border Force will operate from July 2015, merging Customs and Border Protection and border functions of the immigration department. The set up cost will be $53.6 million, and the force will receive a $480.5 million package to run.

The budget revealed that Indonesia will receive $86.6 million over three years as part of a regional corporation agreement to manage asylum seekers there. Christmas Island will receive infrastructure upgrades, extra health staff, and child asylum seekers will get better access to full time schooling. Malaysia will receive two retired Bay Class boats from 2015 to assist them in combatting people smuggling. General Angus Campbell warned that stopping asylum seeker boats entirely will take “years, not months, of collective regional effort”.

According to the The Australian, the success of Operation Sovereign Borders means $2.5 billion over five years will be saved. There will be savings of $283 million over four years through closing 10 detention centres and $38.4 million through ending the displaced persons program. There will be savings of $20.2 million over four years from the amalgamation of the Migration Review Tribunal, Refugee Review Tribunal and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

The Guardian published information from a G4S submission to the upcoming Senate inquiry into the unrest on Manus Island, including a timeline and account of the events leading to the unrest. As part of preliminary investigations by PNG authorities, The Australian revealed that 450 of the 1200 asylum seekers on Manus Island have been found to be genuine refugees. So far, 450 have not qualified and will be removed.

Fairfax published a statement from a spokesperson for immigration minister Scott Morrison that there were no psychologists on Manus Island, despite Mr Morrison having claiming there were in January 2014. A former case worker on Manus Island called for medical attention for a mentally ill detainee but was ignored.

The Senate passed an amendment to the Migration Act that excludes people who have been given adverse security assessments by ASIO from receiving protection visas. Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young is launching a motion of disallowance in the Senate to remove a code of behaviour in bridging visas that says asylum seekers over 18 must behave appropriately while in the Australian community or their visa will be cancelled.