Greens Senator Criticises new Asylum Seeker Policy
Friday 22 May 2015 @ 12.36 p.m. | Immigration
The Greens have denounced the recent Federal policy decision regarding asylum seekers as equating essentially to a message to asylum seekers to “bugger off and die somewhere else.”
The policy change introduced by the Federal Government in March meant that questions about whether asylum seekers have been tortured or traumatised would be moved to later in the health screening process. A spokesman for the Immigration Minister could not say how the change could affect those interviewed and processed at sea under the Federal Government's so-called enhanced screening process.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young explained that if the question was not asked earlier in the process, it could effectively deny refugees safety. She said:
"Not even giving them the opportunity means we're simply saying 'go away, we don't care; bugger off and die somewhere else'…It's clear that the Government's objective is to give people as little opportunity as possible to be accepted as refugees, to allow them to turn people around on the high seas, turn them back and never have to worry about them again…Not asking those very basic questions is denying those people the opportunity for safety and the opportunity to seek protection in the most legal and organised manner.”
The Immigration Department has responded by insisting that the former Immigration Health Advisory Group had recommended that the question not be asked immediately.
The Department said in a written response to a Senate hearing
"IHAG considered it was more appropriate to ask the question later in the Health Induction Assessment, where more comprehensive mental health screening occurs."
TimeBase is an independent, privately owned Australian legal publisher specialising in the online delivery of accurate, comprehensive and innovative legislation research tools including LawOne and unique Point-in-Time Products.
