The Greens say Immigration Minister Chris Evans should not be opening the Christmas Island detention centre to detain recently arrived asylum seekers.

The $400 million, 800-bed detention centre on Christmas Island was built by the Howard Government but left unoccupied until now.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Christmas Island detention centre should never have been built and should not be housing asylum seekers now.

“This facility, of monstrous size and cost to taxpayers, is not an appropriate way to accommodate people who have arrived in Australia seeking our assistance,” she said.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has slammed claims that changes to Australia’s immigration policy has caused a surge in suspected asylum seekers reaching Australia in boats.

A boat carrying 44 suspected asylum seekers was intercepted off Broome yesterday, bringing this year’s total of detained asylum seekers to 127. Last year 150 asylum seekers arrived by boat.

“These are the same old scaremongering lines being trotted out by hangers-on from the Howard and Ruddock regime,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the Government’s new Australian Customs and Border Protection Service must treat compassionately and humanely people who arrive by boat to seek asylum in Australia.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the formation of the new agency today, a day after a boat of 35 suspected asylum seekers was intercepted off the Western Australian coast and escorted to Christmas Island for detention.

“What kind of service will this new agency be offering to those who need our assistance and protection?” asked Senator Hanson-Young.

“We cannot forget: it is not illegal to seek asylum. It is a right under international law.”

Statement:

Petro Georgiou MP (LIB)
Senator Dr Alan Eggleston (LIB)
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (GRN)

Authors of a dissenting report to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s Report, Immigration detention in Australia: A new beginning

“Immigration detention decisions should be subject to prompt independent review”

The Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s report, Immigration detention in Australia: A new beginning, makes a number of very important recommendations to improve the fairness and transparency of Australia’s immigration detention policy.

They include the recommendation to stop charging former detainees the cost of their detention. The sums can be very substantial and well beyond the means of people to repay and cause great stress. This is a fair and sensible recommendation and we encourage the Government to implement it as soon as possible.

The Committee’s recommendations relating to reviews by the Immigration Department and the Ombudsman will improve the current framework.

However, significant weaknesses remain. The proposed changes fall well short of ensuring rigorous and timely assessment of whether detention is necessary in accordance with the new policy.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called on Immigration Minister Chris Evans to exercise his ministerial discretion to grant the Moeller family permanent residency as soon as possible, but says broader reform is needed to avoid discrimination against other migrants.

Yesterday the Migration Review Tribunal upheld a decision by the Department of Immigration to refuse German doctor Bernhard Moeller and his family permanent residency, as Moeller’s son Lukas has Down syndrome.

“The Greens hope Minister Evans will exercise his discretion wisely and swiftly when considering the Moeller family’s case, and overturn this disappointing decision by the tribunal,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called on Immigration Minister Chris Evans to ensure that a new group of suspected asylum seekers have any claims processed in a timely manner, and are treated humanely in line with the Government’s new immigration policies.

Twelve people who are thought to be asylum seekers were rescued from a sinking boat off northern Western Australia yesterday, and are being taken to Christmas Island.

“These people should be brought to mainland Australia for prompt processing of any claims for asylum,” said Senator Hanson-Young.