In the media
Boat arrivals
Chinese nationals who reached the Kimberley coast by boat, and were labelled asylum seekers by the media, stated that they were seeking economic opportunity. At the time of their arrival, an ABC reporter provided an insight into local reaction to the situation.
In detention
Sayed Abdellatif’s twelve years in immigration detention has ended after the Immigration Minister granted him a temporary protection visa. One of the people released after the High Court unlawful detention ruling is in custody on charges of a violent home invasion. Separately, another former immigration detainee was cleared of all sexual assault charges after the prosecution failed to provide any evidence in court. The High Court has adjourned in the matter of ASF17, a case to clarify the lawfulness of ongoing detention where a person does not cooperate in the deportation process.
In the community
One of the people killed by the Bondi Junction attacker was a Pakistani refugee who was working his first day shift as a security guard.
International
The UNHCR and the Asia Venture Philanthropy Network have partnered to create innovative financing programs to support initiatives that improve the lives of forcibly displaced people in the Asia-Pacific region. The EU Parliament approved the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which mandates countries to cooperate on the reception and relocation of asylum seekers to reduce pressure on the southern states. The UK government passed legislation to enable the implementation of their policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Cyprus suspended asylum applications from Syrians in response to an increase in arrivals. Azerbaijan asked the International Court of Justice to dismiss an Armenian case that alleges ethnic cleansing is occurring in the Nagorno-Karabagh region.
In policy
A Senate Inquiry has been told that legislation, which criminalises a person’s refusal to cooperate with the deportation process, could inadvertently affect 4,463 people on Bridging Visa E. The Human Rights Commission’s latest inspection report on the Yongah Hill Detention Centre highlighted serious safety concerns from behaviours that are common to a prison system and inadequate health care.
In research
Research commissioned by the Queensland government found more than 6,000 refugees and migrants have qualifications that match current skill shortage areas but cannot gain employment in those fields. It charts a way forward to enable appropriately skilled refugees and migrants to access employment in their field of expertise. The International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ) called for papers for their 2024 Asia-Pacific Conference.