Friday, 17 November 2006
Time to change Australia's TPV regime
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission today renewed its call for a review of Australia's temporary protection visa (TPV) regime.
"Yesterday's High Court decision highlights the need for Australia to change its policy towards refugees living in Australia" said the Human Rights Commissioner, Graeme Innes AM. "The case for a compassionate approach to people who Australia has already found to be refugees is extremely compelling."
The need for review of the TPV regime was highlighted in 2004 when the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission published its report on children in detention, A last resort?
"The vulnerability of refugees on temporary protection visas is very clear. None of us cope well when we don't know where we will be living the following year, but with refugees the impact of this uncertainty can be crippling. Refugees generally come from a situation of torture and trauma and are afraid of what will face them if they are sent back".
"Whether they are in or out of immigration detention, the one thing that asylum-seekers and refugees repeat to me again and again is that they need to know what is happening. Delaying the ultimate decision of whether they can stay or not for five years or more seems cruel, especially when the vast majority of such people are ultimately granted permanent residence".
Australia is a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention which provides (in Article 34) that Australia should "as far as possible, facilitate the assimilation and naturalisation of refugees"
"It is important to remember our obligations under international refugee law which require Australia to facilitate assimilation of refugees in the community and provide them with secure protection. The abolition of the TPV regime would help refugees to integrate into multicultural Australia and provide them with a safe home" Commissioner Innes said.
For a copy of A last resort? National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention see: www.humanrights.gov.au/human_rights/children_detention_report/index.html
Media contact: Devra Adler on 02 9284 9834
Last updated 8 November, 2006
