While Julia Gillard achieved her “year of decision and delivery” in relation to carbon pricing, health reform and the mining tax, her self-appointed task of resolving the issue of asylum seekers remains unfinished at year’s end.
Mandatory detention
Mandatory detention is not the problem, the label is
As soon as we interpret mandatory detention as a model that removes freedom of movement and must be in place for the entire length of time of the processing of a protection application that could take years, then we run into trouble, writes Caz Coleman, of the Council for Immigration Services and Status Resolution.
Calling for onshore processing is not enough
How will we build an onshore system that does not permanently damage asylum seekers who will become future citizens? asks Caz Coleman, of the Council for Immigration Services and Status Resolution.
More sloppy thinking on asylum seekers
It is possible to deter asylum seeker boat arrivals while meeting and exceeding our humanitarian obligations. But no one has put the policy together yet.
Cost of detention? $113,000 per asylum seeker
Over the last decade we’ve spent over $100,000 detaining each and every boat arrival.
How can we tell if the Malaysian deal works?
It’s unclear whether the Malaysian deal will work and it has risks, but it is the least-worst solution currently available form the major parties.
Budget breakdown: trampling on human rights is expensive
Asylum seekers continue to suffer because of poll-driven policies and their fate remains an enormous political problem for Australia. John Menadue, of the Centre for Policy Development, adds up how expensive trampling on human rights really is.
Our shrinking asylum seeker problem
While Australia’s asylum seeker numbers fall, Labor is ensuring it will always lose the debate by remaining wedded to mandatory detention.
Christmas Island a ‘ghetto’, but ‘dire’ Curtin could be worse
The “ghetto-like” Christmas Island detention centre is bursting at the seams as boat arrivals swell. But housing asylum seekers at the long-defunct Curtain facility could make conditions even worse, writes Elizabeth Redman.
Detention debt destroyed
After much debate, including a Crikey analysis of which Coalition members supported the bill, the charging of immigration detainees and asylum seekers for their mandatory detention has been scrapped.
USA’s detain & deport crimes worse than Australia’s
However unjust and dysfunctional the administration of Australia’s immigration laws have been in our recent past, it is being outstripped by what has been happening in the USA, writes Andrew Bartlett.
Coalition splits on abolishing detainees’ debts
Many former detainees are taking a great interest in the Migration Amendment (Abolishing Detention Debt) Bill 2009 that’s currently being debated in the Lower House.
The Liberal Party’s long history of playing the race card
Despite Joe Hockey’s indignant posturing over the weekend, the fact is that the Liberal Party has used race over the past two decades for its own political advantage, writes Greg Barns.
Australia’s human rights record under attack
Australia’s human rights record has come under scrutiny by the international watchdog, writes Dan Ziffer.
Ruddock and Howard can look forward to mandatory litigation
Mr Ruddock’s role in the Haneef affair might seem like a walk in the park when placed alongside the scrutiny that will inevitably be applied to his role in prosecuting the policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers, writes Greg Barns.
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Mandatory detention … nuclear power … Wikipedia … Frank Lowy … The West Wing and Obama … Jim Stynes …
Mungo: Howard’s detention regime diminished us all
Mandatory detention wasn’t John Howard’s idea, but its manipulation as a cynical political device most certainly was, writes Mungo MacCallum.
Bartlett: Don’t sack the minister, change the migration act
Any inquiry into the conduct of the case against Dr Haneef would be remiss if it did not include a thorough examination and revision of aspects of migration law, writes Senator Andrew Bartlett.
