Australian Immigration Under Review

 

The current Australian immigration policy is creating a rift between the Federal government on the one hand and the legal profession and the judiciary on the other. Currently, the issue of Australian immigration policy is quite a hot topic and the Greens are trying to introduce a proposal that would abolish mandatory sentencing.

The Judicial Conference of Australia has spoken out strongly against being forced to impose excessive, and often arbitrary, sentences on supposed ‘people smugglers’ given the Government’s minimum gaol term for this crime. A large number of those convicted, while they may legally fit the definition of ‘people smugglers’, are really just impoverished men and boys who worked as crew member in order to sustain their livelihood.

Further to this, the alarming growth of appeals against rejections of application of refugee status is another issue to be considered by the Federal Government. At the moment, there is no Government provision for those who seek to appeal a rejection. These asylum seekers are left to await the goodwill of pro bono legal professionals willing to take on their case. Consequently, this alarming growth has and will continue to generate a large backlog. Where legal assistance cannot be obtained, asylum seekers are often left to prepare their own appeals, a task riddled with barriers and difficulties.

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