In the media
In detention
Following an Ombudsmans Report criticising the conditions under which Australia holds people at sea, The Saturday Paper published an insiders account of the situation aboard the vessels. A fire occurred in a section of Melbourne’s immigration detention centre. The High Court rejected compensation claims made by two people who were detained, despite an AAT finding that they were owed protection, while their protection visas were considered.
In the community
The ABC published a story on the impact of the housing crisis on Afghan people who were resettled on refugee visas. The International Cricket Council announced the creation of a fund and taskforce to support the exiled Afghan women’s cricket team, most of whom now live in Australia.
International
Pakistani authorities continued their policy of forcibly removing Afghan people who sought safe haven there. ABC Sunday Extra presented a behind the scenes look at the deportation centres in operation in the UK.
In policy
The Refugee Council of Australia published an analysis of the major party policies on refugees and people seeking asylum. The UNSW Kaldor Centre published a paper on five ways Australia could reduce the persistent backlog of protection applications. Sarah Dehm and Anthea Vogl looked back at immigration amnesties declared by previous Australian governments and whether they could occur again.
In research
A review of 21 studies across 8 countries concluded that no form of detention is psychologically safe for children. According to the latest detention statistics, six children remain in locked immigration detention onshore. Research in Germany examined the role that new friendships, within the broader community, make in the success of refugees in their first few years living in a country.