Human Rights

We have just learnt from DIMA that Minister Vanstone as of the 22nd of July 2006 had directed her Ministerial Intervention Unit to process and refer all cases to her within 90 days. Furthermore, that legal representatives are to be given only 14 additional days to submit further information from the date they make their initial request.

We are concerned about these changes for a number of reasons, there is firstly the fact that there was no consultation from the Minister or notification to organizations such as ourselves of such changes. Such quicker processing will place extraordinary pressure on our capacity to continue to assist so many people as we do at the humanitarian stage.

Furthermore, these changes need to be seen in light of a recent interview that Minister Vanstone gave last week to SBS where she made unsubstantiated claims that asylum seekers were deliberately dragging out their stay in Australia and even more concerning were her claims that they were engaging in sham marriages. She provided no evidence to support her claims. Furthermore, she spoke of tighter controls in the future and quicker processing times but it seems she already has implemented them without any notice or consultation.

We do not understand the push for tighter measures and fear they are punitive rather than seeking to promote a fairer legal process for asylum seekers. We already have an approval rate of Ministerial requests that hovers at around just 5% and we are concerned the push for such quick processing will only hinder asylum seekers prospects of humanitarian intervention.

The Humanitarian Intervention Unit is already underesourced and stretched, dealing with many thousands of complex cases and cases that often are awaiting further medical and mental health reports. Reports that within this new 14 day time frame will often not be possible to procure. Furthermore, it can often take a number of months before asylum seekers can obtain from all their community links the neccesary letters of support, reports, references ect. We are concerned their will be a pressure to just say no to most of these cases without adequate time to consider their merits so as to meet these imposed deadlines.

Evidence for such fears are well borne out by our experience in the last year of a new legal time limits whereby DIMA Onshore Protection Department must now decide all cases within 3 months of application for asylum. We have seen a noticeable increase in rejections of people claims for asylum and in particular without even being interviewed, to ensure the time limits are meet.

Whilst we support a more efficient and expedient processing of asylum seekers legal claims to not leave them in endless limbo, it should not be at their detriment and compromise their legal prospects which is what these changes appear to do.

Kon Karapanagiotidis
CEO
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Inc.

The Howard Government continues to show a fragrant disregard for international human rights laws.  Their continued use of offshore ‘processing centres’, Temporary Protection Visas, Bridging Visa E’s regime (that deny people the right to work and medicare and an income) and our Mandatory Detention policies are all breaches of key human rights conventions we are signatories to including the: Convention on the Rights of the Child, ICCPR and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  For example denying people the right to work, health and food is a fundamental breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  We need to be asking when will our government start upholding the laws that is has in principle agreed to be bound by?

The ASRC 5th Annual Trivia Night is on Saturday the 18th of November at the Collingwood Town Hall. A great night of fun, entertainment, trivia and delicious snacks. Its our one big fundraiser each year, please get behind it. We have Anne Phelan, Rachel Berger and Alan Brough as MC’s, gourmet finger food, great entertainment, silent auctions and ofcourse TRIVIA!!!

Click below for flyer and booking form

ASRC 5TH ANNUAL TRIVIA NIGHT

We are seeking to employ a full – time Fundraising Co – ordinator via a grant from the Pratt Foundation. We are re – advertising this position. Applications close Monday the 13th of November. Please click below for Position Description and please send out to your networks.