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Asylum seekers to be released from detention
PM By Liz Hobday and staff
Updated November 25, 2011 20:49:59
The Federal Government will start using bridging visas to process asylum seekers in the community in the coming days.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says those granted the visas have undergone initial checks and security clearances and will live with family or friends while their requests for asylum are processed.
The new rules will not allow asylum seekers to access Centrelink services but they will be allowed to work.
The Government announced the decision to use bridging visas as part of its onshore processing plan for asylum seekers after the Malaysia refugee swap deal collapsed.
Mr Bowen says his department has approved 27 bridging visas for asylum seekers but expects that figure will rise to about 100 a month.
"At least that's what I see as being the initial - 100 a month - and we'll see how it goes," Mr Bowen said.
"Numbers over and above that into the future depend on the rates of arrivals."
Mr Bowen says onshore processing will continue until the Opposition agrees to support changes to the Migration Act.
"The Government's position remains that having processing offshore is an important deterrent to making that boat journey, that dangerous boat journey," Mr Bowen said.
"But we work within the practical realities and we work lawfully, and until Mr Abbott acknowledges that his obstructionism means that we can't have offshore processing, we need to process people onshore."
"Because of his addiction to saying no, (Mr Abbott) will not allow offshore processing."
But the Opposition slammed the new measures and says the Government is being reckless by using bridging visas for asylum seekers who arrive by boat.
Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison says it further winds back the Howard government's border protection policies.
Audio: Boost to bridging visas (PM)
"No government who is serious about border protection would've announced these measures today," Mr Morrison said.
"It will fling the door open for boats to come to Australia. It will create a sea lane for people smugglers.
"This is not the decision of a government who believes in border protection, this is the decision of a government which has capitulated to the Greens, giving them everything they want on this issue.
"And I think it is a reckless decision that will see more boats come to Australia at the most perilous and dangerous time of the year."
Welcome change
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says legislative change is needed to make processing in the community a matter of course.
"People should only be in detention for their health and security checks," she said.
"There's no point keeping people locked up for months and years on end until they're broken, until they're damaged, and then move them into the community. We need to be having this as a matter of course."
But the decision has been welcomed by refugee advocates.
Pamela Curr from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne says the announcement is an answer to a prayer.
"Detention at the moment is in crisis and people are dying; in fact six people have died in under a year. Other people are losing their mental health, some never to recover. So this is very welcome," she said.
But she is one of several refugee advocates with concerns about the way the process will be handled.
"The Government must also come to the party. Specifically, the Government has given people the right to work, many of these people don't have English. In order to go into a dangerous work place, say a factory, where many of them will wind up, they will need English in order to be safe.
"So what we're asking is that there is vocational English at a minimum."
Community support
Paul Power, the chief executive of the Refugee Council of Australia, has also welcomed the announcement and says it is now up to the community to help support asylum seekers.
"Perhaps one of the implications of this decision is that people who feel strongly about this issue also need to find ways to assist the Government to find appropriate accommodation and support options," Mr Power said.
"Certainly the Refugee Council and the organisations involved in our network will be doing that."
Mr Power is also pleased the appeals process will be streamlined so claims will be heard by the Refugee Review Tribunal regardless of whether the person arrives by boat or plane.
"I think what the Government's done today has drawn a line in the sand and said we actually have reasonably fair and robust onshore asylum system and any asylum claim determined in Australia can actually be processed under the one system," he said.
"It's just common sense, really."
But the chair of the Government's Detention Health Advisory Group, Professor Louise Newman, says specialised support will be needed for the many asylum seekers with mental health problems.
"I think the issue that's going to be complex is how best to have the sorts of support that are needed in the community," Ms Newman said.
"There needs to be some fairly rapid planning, particularly for mental health services and supports and health services.
"These are a very vulnerable group of people and I think they are quite high in terms of service needs. So the sooner that planning starts the better."
They're allowed on the mainland now.
Watch the boats roll in and more of them come by plane.
So long, good Australia.
These scum will turn the place into some Afghan city etc.
We have already lost enough rights because of these "New" Australian's.
Can we have John Howard back ?
