Refugees avoid major changes, but further reform looms
The Federal government’s long-awaited and much rumoured migration reforms were announced yesterday.
The only immediate change impacting refugees announced yesterday is that some families will be forced to remain separated while their applications are processed for some family visas. At TRLS, the majority of our refugee clients are waiting outside Australia for their family visas to be assessed and are not impacted by this change.
We were pleased to see the Minister start the announcement yesterday with the premise that there is no mass migration issue in Australia and recognising the significant contribution that the migrant community make to the country.
What we didn’t see in these reforms was the previously reported plans to cut the refugee intake and broadly strip work and appeal rights for people seeking asylum.
These changes would have been catastrophic and weakened safeguards designed to prevent people being returned to danger. Our joint advocacy with other organisations appears to have kept this at bay.
For now.
Legislative changes to the protection system were flagged.
We will continue to work with the government to ensure that we can shape policy and push back against any changes that would undermine the fundamental right to claim asylum under the refugee convention.
While legislative changes are being negotiated, we continue to urge the government to wind back any planned punitive measures, and to protect the integrity of the protection system by:
- Investing in timely, high-quality decision-making at the Department of Home Affairs;
- Funding access to free and independent legal assistance;
- Ensuring the Tribunal and Courts are adequately resourced to decide matters without unnecessary delay; and
- Allowing people seeking asylum the right to work, support their families, and have a fair chance to make their case.
