The human rights of people who are in immigration detention are of special concern to the Commission. Liberty is a fundamental human right, recognised in major human rights instruments to which Australia is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Commission makes this submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee in relation to its inquiry into the efficacy, fairness, timeliness and costs of the processing and granting of visa classes which provide for or allow for family and partner reunions.
For several decades, the Australian Human Rights Commission has expressed deep and longstanding concern about the human rights of people held in Australia’s immigration detention facilities. As a result of our most recent inspection process, that concern has deepened.
Some of the issues of greatest concern to the Commission are as follows.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has today released a report that details increasing concern for the human rights of people held in Australia’s immigration detention facilities.
The report contains findings and recommendations arising from the Commission’s most recent in-person inspections of Australia’s immigration detention facilities, including ‘alternative places of detention’ (APODs). These inspections occurred before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In presenting last week’s Federal Budget, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said, “we will get through this together.” Togetherness is an important value in Australia. It speaks to the basic liberal democratic principle that no-one in our community should be left behind.
The Australian Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned that the Australian Border Force plans to re-open the immigration detention facility at Christmas Island.
The Commission has carried out inspections of Australia's onshore and offshore immigration detention facilities for many years. The Commission's advice has been consistent: Christmas Island is not an appropriate place for an immigration detention facility.
During lockdown, many of us – myself included – have become even more reliant on our mobile phones. They have kept us in contact with parents, children and grandchildren, our colleagues and friends during this difficult time.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has raised concerns about new proposals to amend the Migration Act 1958 (Cth), which would unreasonably limit a range of human rights for all people in immigration detention.
The Commission has made a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, on the Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020.
Human Rights Commissioner
Edward Santow
23 September 2019
Senator Amanda Stoker
Chair
Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
By email: legcon.sen@aph.gov.au
Dear Chair
This year’s Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture was given by award-winning author Thomas Keneally AO, one of Australia's best known and most prolific writers and an Ambassador for the Asylum Seeker Centre.
The lecture, entitled ‘The Moveable Feast – Australia and race hate as experienced in the lifetime as an observer’ explored the history of race relations in Australia as seen through the author’s eyes over the last several decades.
