Yesterday marked a despicable new low for asylum seeker policy. Rudd and Abbott continue to go tit-for-tat on who can appear the most "hardline" by targeting some of the world's most vulnerable people.
Abbott's new policy to "clear the backlog"[1] of 32,000 asylum seekers doesn't even pretend to focus on people smugglers or stopping boats. The Coalition's plan to remove the right of appeal for asylum seekers means we'd be entrusting unknown bureaucrats to make life or death decisions for 32,000 children, women and men - even though 80% of appeals result in refugee status being granted to the applicant.
The policy would also reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas, a suggestion first made by Pauline Hanson, and declared too cruel by the Howard Government.
It's heartless, not strategic and - quite possibly - not even lawful.[2]
We've compiled the contact information for Liberal and Labor candidates and MPs across the country. They'll be campaigning hard this weekend, pushing out policies designed for talk back radio. Let's show we can talk back too.
www.getup.org.au/a-touch-of-compassion
Here's the low down on a low announcement:
- The right to appeal a ruling in the courts would be stripped from asylum seekers;
- Those granted refugee status will be placed on an indefinite work-for-the-dole program;
- About 32,000 people currently in Australia on bridging visas, in community detention or in mainland or offshore detention centres will be denied residency in Australia.
No right to appeal
This would mean decisions on the future of 32,000 women, men, and children will be made by unknown bureaucrats, with no right of appeal at all. More than nine out of ten asylum seekers are found to be genuine refugees, and around 80% of rejected applications are overturned on appeal.
The Coalition decided that these rates were not symptomatic of a flawed application system and a crucial appeals process, but were an unfounded case in point that we're being too soft. That logic (or lack of it) is not only false, but dangerous. This will put people in real danger, in our names. Researchers at the Edmund Rice Centre have followed asylum seekers whose refugee applications were rejected in Australia and deported back to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. They've documented those people facing incredible danger, and being subsequently accepted as refugees in other countries.
Temporary Protection Visas (TPV)
Temporary protection visas are an idea originally introduced by Pauline Hanson. They mean that people who are found to be legitimate refugees are made to re-apply for asylum every three years, and are unable to bring their immediate family here to join them.
We know from experience that TPVs result in more asylum seekers come by boat. As Julian Burnside QC explains: if you're not allowed family reunion, the wife and children of refugees, who are almost certainly refugees on the same basis as the husband, are not allowed to come. So what do they do? They use a people-smuggler.
Our leaders seem to think using fear, intolerance and fabricated national security hype is a vote-winning strategy. You can prove them wrong. Today, let's send a strong signal to all parties that no matter which party emerges the victor on September 7, the GetUp movement will commit every resource at our disposal and every ounce of energy we have to ensure justice for refugees.
Let's show that Australians have more than "a touch of compassion"[3]; we have a wealth of it.
www.getup.org.au/a-touch-of-compassion
the GetUp team
PS. Has today's policy development lit a fire under you? GetUp members will be handing out over 2 million independent scorecards on polling day, showing where the parties stand on issues like asylum seekers. Click here to chip in to the effort, or if you want to volunteer as an Election Leader in your area go here: www.getup.org.au/volunteer
[1 & 3] Tony Abbott evokes John Howard in slamming doors on asylum seekers, The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 August 2013. Available here
[2] Coalition asylum policy would overwhelm High Court, constitutional lawyer warns, The Australian, 16 August 2013. Available here
Comments
Australia murdering its own population
The reality is Queensland, New South Wales & Victoria are riddled with roads & developed allmost to their maximum potential.
Northern Territory, Western Australia & South Australia show some potential for more development but the problem with these states is that they are mostly deserts. Australians are being killed all the time in the fraudulent mental health system, so if a country does this to its own people, how do you expect them to treat so called assylum seekers from war torn countries, be nice to them all while murdering its own population, its ridiculous.