Weekly media round-up No. 28

Immigration minister Scott Morrison announced monthly ministerial meetings between Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) to coordinate the inquiry into the violence on Manus Island and the resettlement arrangements of asylum seekers

Several accounts were published of the February violence on Manus Island, including from an employee of the G4S security firm and from an asylum seeker inside the detention centre. The Guardian also published images that appear to show the aftermath of the unrest. Former Howard Government immigration minister Amanda Vanstone criticised the media for its coverage of how Mr Morrison handled the death of Reza Berati.

The Senate voted for an inquiry into the Manus Island violence. A spokesman for PNG’s Prime Minister said asylum seekers and workers from the detention centre should be flown to Australia to give evidence. The inquiry is in addition to the Immigration Department’s own inquiry.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for Australia to review its treatment of asylum seekers and its agreement with PNG, to ensure its resettlement arrangements are ‘in accordance with international law’.

The Australian Human Rights Commission visited Christmas Island as part of inquiry into children in immigration detention. The Uniting Church offered to take in orphaned asylum seeker children, however this was dismissed by Mr Morrison.

The Federal Government re-introduced a freeze on granting protection visas to asylum seekers who arrive by boat, saying the freeze would allow them to issue visas to refugees from camps.

The High Court heard a challenge to a regulation denying permanent protection to those who arrive without visas. The challenge comes on behalf of a 15-year-old Ethiopian boy who entered Australia as a stowaway on a ship last year.

Following the withdrawal of ten artists from the festival, the Biennale of Sydney cut ties with Transfield Services, a service provider on Nauru and Manus Island. 

Weekly media round-up No. 27

The Manus Island riot triggered significant social and political debate in Australia. Footage released depicts chaotic scenes at the temporary hospital established to treat those injured. Preliminary reports found Iranian asylum seeker Reza Berati died from multiple head injuries, possibly inflicted by a heavy object.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison travelled to Papua New Guinea to discuss the Manus Island riot. Both the Australian and Papua New Guinean governments reiterated their intention to maintain the detention facility. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also defended the policy in a speech given at Oxford University.

Frustration regarding the secrecy of Operation Sovereign Borders led to Labor Senator Stephen Conroy accusing military commander Angus Campbell of a ‘political cover-up’ during a Senate Estimates hearing. A group of asylum seekers claimed that the Australian navy had blown up their vessel after transferring them to a naval lifeboat for return to Indonesia.

A new website inviting Australians to apologise for the government’s treatment of asylum seekers received national and international coverage. Five artists withdrew from the upcoming Sydney Biennale due to the festival being sponsored by Transfield, a company contracted to provide services at the Manus Island and Nauru detention facilities.

Weekly media round-up No. 26

On the weekend of 15-16 February, a riot broke out at the immigration detention centre on Manus Island. Twenty-three year old asylum seeker, Reza Berati, died and 77 others were injured. Thirty-five asylum seekers fled the centre.

On 18 February, immigration minister Scott Morrison said the violence occurred outside the camp perimeter. The minister emphasised the limited protection Australia could offer asylum seekers who had escaped the compound. Contractor G4S said asylum seekers breached the perimeter and the matter became a local law enforcement issue. The world refugee agency, UNCHR, expressed its concern in a statement. The minister announced a departmental inquiry into the riot.

On 22 February, the minister released a statement saying the events took place inside the compound, contradicting his statement five days earlier. PNG police fired shots twice during the event. The minister is under pressure to resign or be sacked due to his handling of the disturbance. Prime Minister Tony Abbott supported the minister, saying ‘[y]ou don’t want a wimp running border protection.’

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection accidentally published the personal information of 10,000 asylum seekers online. The minister for immigration ordered a review into the breach.

Amnesty International encouraged Australia to commit to accepting more than the stated figure of 500 Syrian refugees and expressed concern that Australia is placing Syrians on Manus Island.

Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, requested Cambodia accept asylum seekers. Her counterpart, Hor Nam Hong, said his country would seriously consider the request. Meanwhile, China criticised Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers, questioning the legality of return arrangements of refugees made by Australia.

Weekly media round-up No. 25

At 15 February 2014, there had been no asylum seeker boat arrivals in the previous 57 days.

A submission to a Senate Committee by the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce opposed a Bill granting discretionary power to the Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to determine approvals for Complementary Protection visas. According to the group, this legislation allows the minister to “play God”.

Minister Morrison dismissed concerns that differing accounts of alleged mistreatment of asylum seeker by Navy personnel may harm Australia-Indonesia relations. The minister played down Indonesia’s concern over the use of lifeboats to return asylum seekers that have entered Australia’s territorial zone. In spite of this tension, Indonesia’s policy to deny Iranians visas on arrival remains in place, which has seen a decrease over the past year in the number of Iranians attempting to enter Australia via the Indonesian archipelago.

In increasing efforts to assess the impact of the government’s immigration policies on public opinion, the Immigration Department commissioned Cubit Media Research to deliver “media positioning analysis”. In response to criticism of contracts worth $4.3m, a department spokesperson said the contracts were first approved and funded by the former Labor government. Professor Andre Markus argued refugee advocates are out of touch with public opinion on asylum seekers.

An Indian student committed suicide at a Maribyrnong immigration detention centre, after he was detained for overstaying his student visa.

Weekly media round-up No. 24

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.

Weekly media round-up No. 23

Former Royal Australian Navy Officer has described the Federal Government’s stop the boats policy as “morally corrupt and totally indefensible”, adding that last weeks reports of alleged mistreatment of asylum seekers is causing growing confusion and anger in Navy ranks. The ABC reports around that incident have elicited a strong response from Prime Minister Abbot, who suggested the national broadcaster was being unpatriotic in its reports of asylum seekers’ allegations against officials. The ABC have responded in an email to staff reinforcing the their commitment to reporting just the facts.

A spokesman for the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection claims that plans to deny working rights to “illegal maritime arrivals” will provide a disincentive for people smugglers to “put people on boats for the dangerous journey to Australia”. The Minister appeared on Friday before a Senate committee examining the Government's reliance on public interest immunity to deny the upper house access to documents relating to Operation Sovereign Borders. Under intense questioning from Senators Ludwig, Hansen-Young and Carr, Minister Morrison refused to release any of the requested documents on the basis that they would harm the national interest.

Nauru has raised the cost of business visas from $400 to $6000 to raise money through hosting Australia’s refugee processing centre. Meanwhile, three security guards working on Manus Island have lost their jobs following an incident on Facebook where they ridiculed asylum seekers for swallowing nail clippers.

In international news, Somali residents of the Dadaab Refugee Camp have begun to be repatriated.

Weekly media round-up No. 22

The Australia-Indonesia bilateral relationship remains under pressure, amid concerns the Abbott Government is failing to respect the relationship. The policy of “tow-backs” of asylum seeker boats into Indonesian sovereign territory is a breach of international law.

A group of African asylum seekers claimed Australian navy personnel inflicted burns by making them hold hot parts of their boat's engine when returning to Indonesia. Despite video images supporting the claims, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison rejected this claim, saying he would not investigate the incident.

Still in the region, the parliament of Niue refused a proposal to join Nauru and Manus Island in housing asylum seekers to Australia.

Human Rights Watch's World Report was launched, critical of Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers in harsh and unsatisfactory conditions. The report claims Australia is damaging its reputation by undercutting refugee protections.

UNHCR reported that there are now 890,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon and are appealing for 30,000 to be resettled immediately. Amnesty International called on Australia to accept more refugees from Syria. Australia has accepted 500 Syrian refugees. Other nations have accepted greater numbers, such as Sweden, which has accepted 14,000 Syrian refugees.

Australia signed the Refugee Convention 60 years ago this week. The Menzies government acceded on January 22, 1954.

Weekly media round-up No.21

The Australian Government offered an apology after a naval vessel entered Indonesian waters during the week. The Indonesian Government responded by increasing patrols of its sea borders and demanding the immediate cessation of Operation Sovereign Borders.

The Guardian reported that a group of asylum seekers were forced back to Indonesia in a lifeboat after being intercepted by the Australian navy near Christmas Island.

The Government has announced the closure of four detention centres on the Australian mainland.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison rejected a claim by Fairfax media an Australian naval vessel fired warning shots at an asylum seeker boat.

The UN warned that the ‘seeds of a genocide’ were present after refugees fleeing the Central African Republic spoke about murderous attacks perpetrated by Christians against Muslims.

Food aid arrived at a Syrian refugee camp for the first time in four months following reports that dozens of refugees had died of starvation at the camp since October. There are an estimated 6.5 million internally displaced people in Syria.

Weekly media round-up No. 20

The UNHCR has predicted that the number of refugees generated by the South Sudan conflict could reach 125 000, with up to 400 000 people internally displaced.

Indonesia’s military chief General Moeldoko has denied reports that he ‘agreed’ with Australia’s practice of turning asylum seekers’ boats to Indonesia. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa reiterated his country’s opposition to the policy, following reports two asylum seeker have been were turned back in recent weeks. The UNHCR warned that boat turn backs potentially place Australia in breach of international law. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison insisted that Australia's action is legal.

Defence sources have reportedly told Fairfax Media that the government is buying up to 16 hard-hulled lifeboats which could be used to send back asylum seekers intercepted on unseaworthy boats.

The Guardian has obtained documents detailing more than 110 significant incidents at the Manus Island detention centre between March and June 2013, including mass hunger strikes, serious assaults and attempts at self-harm.

Defending his government’s tight control over information on asylum seeker arrivals, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has likened the fight against people smugglers to a war. Scott Morrison has again issued a written statement in lieu of a weekly media briefing, and told SBS Radio that media conferences on Operation Sovereign Borders will be held ‘when necessary’. 

Nauru increased its visa fee for journalists from $180 to around $7000, making it one of the most expensive places in the world for journalists to visit.

Weekly media round-up No. 19

The UNHCR said that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has reached one million as a result of the conflict in the Central African Republic. Many have fled to refugee camps, the bush or neighbouring countries.

Amnesty International criticised Bulgaria’s treatment of repatriated refugees, describing the conditions they are held in as ‘deplorable’. The New York Times reports that many of the returned asylum seekers are from Syria.

In Australia, the Opposition and the Greens accused the Government of a ‘cover-up’ following the release of Department of Immigration and Border Protection documents detailing a security incident on Manus Island in October 2013. Information of the incident was redacted on the basis that it would damage relations with Indonesia.

Scott Morrison announced that there had been 901 ‘illegal maritime arrivals’ from October to December 2013 – the lowest for the December quarter since 2008. However, the burden on the navy of ongoing surveillance and rescue missions has highlighted capacity and operational challenges faced by the patrol boat fleet. The first asylum seeker vessel for 2014 was intercepted on Thursday 95 nautical miles north of Darwin.

The alleged rape of an asylum seeker on Christmas Island drew attention to Serco staffing levels. The Government removed the alleged victim from accommodation with single adult males. In the face of criticism by the UNHCR at the slow rate in processing protection claims, the government released a document that says that the Nauru Refugee Status Determination Office has interviewed about 600 asylum seekers.

Weekly media round-up No. 18

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison stopped holding weekly news conferences on asylum seeker boat arrivals, instead issuing a written statement with no opportunity for journalists to ask questions. Mr Morrison's office said that 355 asylum seekers arrived in December though none in the past week.

Serco announced it has secured a six-month extension to its contract with the Australian Government for the provision of detention services on the mainland and Christmas Island. Fairfax media reports that each asylum seeker who tries to reach Australia on a boat could cost taxpayers almost half a million dollars.

An Iranian asylum seeker who miscarried on Christmas Island said her requests for medical attention were ignored. The Australian Human Rights Commission said doctors’ letter of concern is 'chilling in its scientific clarity' in detailing inhumane treatment.

An intellectually disabled woman seeking asylum and her family were moved from detention in Christmas Island to the Australian mainland. Amnesty International reported on conditions in the Manus Island detention centre.

Community leaders urged Lebanese asylum seekers to return home voluntarily from detention on Nauru and Manus Island. Zimbabwe's ambassador to Australia asked for political asylum days before her term ends saying she fears for her safety if she returns home.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported one in five people living in Lebanon are refugees who have fled the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

Pope Francis called for dignity for refugees fleeing misery and conflict in his Christmas Day speech.

Weekly media round-up No. 17

Doctors on Christmas Island issued a letter of concern, illustrating problems around the medical procedures given to asylum seekers prior to being sent to an offshore facility. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison denied the receipt of the letter, despite claims that it had been with his department for two weeks.

 Scott Morrison proposed a new rule for asylum seekers in the community on bridging visas, stating that they may be sent back to detention for anti-social behaviour relating to disruptions caused by overcrowding in apartments.

 Mr Morrison also decided to overturn the freeze on the granting of protection visas for asylum seekers, after his previous announcement made earlier in December. The move follows an action by refugee lawyers to challenge Morrison's visa cap.

 A report by the Customs and Border Protection Service found that Australian authorities acted appropriately when it took them two days to co-ordinate a search and rescue effort for an asylum seeker boat seen near Christmas Island in June. It is believed that the 60 occupants of this vessel perished at sea.

Weekly media round-up No. 16

The Abbott Government has sacked the Immigration Health Advisory Group, a group formed to advise DIAC on the health asylum seekers. Facing a larger than predicted budget deficit, the Government has flagged large increases in the cost of offshore processing of asylum seekers. The Salvation Army announced the cancellation of its $74m contract to provide services to asylum seekers.

Amnesty International released a report criticising the EU for its response to the Syrian refugee crisis. The report noted that only 10 EU member states had offered to resettle Syrian refugees. Amnesty International released a separate report condemning at the Manus Island Detention facility. The report noted such deficiencies as inadequate access to medical services, water and clothing. In the same week, the Australian Government disbanded an independent panel that provided advice in regards to the mental health of refugees in detention.

Prime Minister Abbott this week encouraged Indonesia to resume diplomatic relations following its suspension in late November. On several occasions in recent weeks, the Government has attributed a fall in asylum boat arrivals to the success of Operation Sovereign Borders. In response, researchers from the University of Queensland conducted an analysis of maritime arrival statistics. They found “no sign that the election of the Abbott Coalition Government has had any impact on arrivals whatsoever.”

Weekly media round-up No. 15

The UNHCR estimates that more than three million people have now fled the Syrian conflict. Germany announced that it will double its intake of Syrian refugees to 5000.

The European Commission has proposed paying countries in the European Union €6,000 for each refugee registered with the United Nations that they resettle.

Twenty seven asylum seekers spent three days undetected on Christmas Island after their boat was wrecked off the coast.

The government’s attempt to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas was blocked by Labor and the Greens. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison responded by announcing that the government would cease processing the current backlog of 33,000 permanent protection visa applications.

The Prime Minister Tony Abbott indicated that the government is concerned about the way the Refugee Convention has been ‘imported into Australian law’.

Weekly media round-up No. 14

With Australia-Indonesia cooperation on people smuggling on hold, Indonesia’s national police chief said boats headed to Christmas Island were not Indonesia’s responsibility.

A group of unaccompanied minors were evacuated from detention on Nauru due to mental health concerns expressed by the Nauruan government. Children detained on Christmas Island and Nauru are not allowed to attend school.

Lawyers are confident a baby born to asylum seekers in Brisbane will be granted citizenship by the federal court. Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi said "justice has to be tempered by mercy" in relation to the case. Asylum seekers on bridging visas report living on one meal a day and sleeping in cramped conditions living in the community.

UNHCR has released on conditions in detention centres on Manus and Nauru, saying the policies breach international law and amount to inhumane treatment, lowering the quality of care offered to asylum seekers offshore. UNHCR further criticised the ‘sharp deterioration’ of refugee protection in Australia in the past year.

Weekly media round-up No. 13

Relationships with Indonesia were strained by revelations Prime Minister Yudhuyono’s phone was targeted by Australian security officials in 2009. The diplomatic fallout of the past week cast doubt on the viability of the government’s asylum seeker policy, which relies on cooperation with Indonesia. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard urged Mr Abbott not to tap phones in future.

A senior Indonesian immigration official indicated that the government will cease surveillance aimed at stopping boat traffic. At the same time, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison assured the public that the Coalition’s policy will operate independently of Indonesia’s policy.

Mr Morrison predicted that the coming weeks would be a time of higher arrivals as people smugglers sought to launch attempts before the beginning of the monsoon season. 40 asylum seekers were rescued when the navy boat towing them toward Christmas Island damaged their vessel’s bow, making it unseaworthy.

ABC’s Four Corners revealed that people smugglers have been selling travel documents in Indonesia, allowing asylum seekers to fly into Australia on commercial flights, as opposed to arriving by boat. Meanwhile, during questioning at the Senate Estimates hearings, DIAC Secretary Martin Bowles revealed the cost of detaining asylum Seekers on Nauru and Manus Island was almost $1 billion this financial year.

Criticism of the government’s engagement with the media on asylum issues has continued. The challenge of maintaining secrecy around operational issues was highlighted this week, when the head of Operation Sovereign Borders, Angus Campbell, confirmed to a Senate committee that the boat buy-back scheme had been scrapped.

A Rohingyan woman delayed her return to Nauru after recently giving birth in a Brisbane hospital. 

Weekly media round-up No. 12

After a stand-off with Indonesia over an asylum boat, which reinforced the complexity of Australia’s relationship with the country, Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised that the government will not yield to people smugglers. In an apparent misinterpretation of the international law of the sea, the Prime Minister claimed that Jakarta should take responsibility for asylum seekers rescued by Australian authorities in Indonesia’s search and rescue zone. Despite reports that Indonesia accepted two asylum seeker boats in this situation, the country may seek to limit the size of its search and rescue area.

At this year’s CHOGM conference, Mr. Abbott announced that Australia will give Sri Lanka two retired navy patrol boats to assist with regulating people smuggling activity.

Last week, an asylum seeker boat carrying 163 passengers was confirmed to have arrived in Darwin. Federal Opposition frontbencher, Tony Burke, called for the government to release more information about boat arrivals.

Workers in offshore detention centres reported that conditions have worsened for asylum seekers as a direct result of the change of government. In response to reports that a female asylum seeker in Brisbane was separated from her new-born baby overnight, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said that it was “common practice” for this to occur.

The account of two journalists who attempted to experience the asylum seeker boat journey to Australia was published in the New York Times magazine.

Weekly media round-up No. 11

The European Court of Justice ruled that homosexuals with a well founded fear of persecution have the right to claim asylum in the European Union as members of a ‘particular social group’. The decision has particularly significant implications for homosexuals living in African nations that hold legal punishments for homosexuality.

Australian and Indonesian authorities openly disagreed about the Australian Government’s ongoing pursuit of its policy to turn back asylum seeker boats to Indonesia.

On Friday, Indonesian authorities refused Australia’s request to transfer 63 asylum seekers to the Indonesian mainland. An Australian naval vessel recovered the asylum seekers on Thursday morning from the Indonesian search and rescue zone.

During the incident Indonesian authorities outlined a new position, saying they would only facilitate boat turn backs if asylum seekers’ lives were at risk. The Australian immigration minister subsequently ordered that the asylum seekers be transferred to Manus Island or Nauru.

The Australian Government continues to be criticised for a lack of disclosure regarding asylum seeker boat arrivals. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young said she would use powers in the senate to compel the Australian Government to provide more information about Operation Sovereign Borders.

Australian media reported that two unaccompanied teenage boys are being held in isolation at the Manus Island detention facility. Subsequent to this report, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the boys would be moved to Christmas Island.

Weekly media round-up No. 10

Amnesty International released a report revealing that people fleeing Syria are being turned back at the Jordanian border. UNHCR Coordinator for Middle East and North Africa has estimated that that conflict may generate up to 5 million refugees.

Responding to the concerns of other European Union countries, Serbia has vowed to step up its efforts to prevent people lodging ‘false’ claims for asylum. Italy’s coast guard has rescued around 700 refugees in a 24-hour period.

The Australian reports that authorities in Nauru have processed just one application for asylum in over a year. Indonesia has agreed to increase its naval patrols in an effort to detect and disrupt people smuggling operations. Demand for people smugglers has reportedly dropped in Indonesia.

The immigration department released its annual report. The report reveals that five people died in immigration detention in the 2012/13 financial year.

Two refugees detained indefinitely as a result of adverse security assessments have attempted suicide in the past fortnight. The immigration department has agreed to implement the recommendations of the Commonwealth Immigration Ombudsman’s report on self-harm and suicide in detention centres, released in May 2013.

The immigration minister has denied reports that two asylum seekers in Darwin were transferred to Christmas Island as a result of talking to the media.

The Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, is meeting with Iranian officials to discuss the repatriation of Iranian nationals who have lodged unsuccessful claims for asylum in Australia. Almost a third(p7) of detainees in Australia’s immigration detention network are Iranian.

The University of New South Wales launched the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law.

Anyone requiring support dealing with challenging emotional issues can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Weekly media round-up No. 9

 Immigration Minister Scott Morrison defended the heavily criticised redefining of asylum seekers arriving by boat from ‘irregular maritime arrivals’ to ‘illegal maritime arrivals’, stating the term refers only to mode of entry.

The government has faced further criticism for the suppression of information about asylum seeker boat arrivals. On Manus Island an emergency evacuation of staff on 18 October left asylum seekers locked inside the detention centre. The minister could not be contacted for comment. The temporary facility is at capacity, with a backlog of around 2000 people on Christmas Island awaiting relocation.

The annual Mapping Social Cohesion report says the proportion of people who think asylum seeker boats should be turned back has risen from 23 per cent in 2010 to 33 per cent this year, with 18 per cent saying asylum seekers who reach Australia by boat should be able to apply for permanent residency. The Anglican Church has called for a ‘sane conversation’ on asylum seeker policy.

An Australian Human Rights Commission report warns that returned asylum seekers from Sri Lanka risk harm under the government's enhanced screening process, while the Refugee Council of Australia says the reintroduction of Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) is ‘needlessly punitive’. Medical professionals urged the government to urgently review its policy of overseas detention of pregnant asylum seekers. 

In Indonesia, a west Timorese businessman suggested a 2009 oil spill forced fishermen to turn to people smuggling, while experts advise Australia’s deportation of seven West Papuan asylum seekers in September to Papua New Guinea breaches its obligations under the Refugees Convention.

Further afield, Italy has committed to overhauling Europe’s asylum policies and urged European Union action, following the deaths of more than 550 asylum seekers at sea this month. The United Kingdom’s controversial ‘Go home' vans are to be scrapped and 50,000 refugees may be granted ‘asylum amnesty’.