Kerry Murphy is a Sydney solicitor who specialises in Immigration and Refugee law.
On World Refugee day (20 June) the High Court held that the limit on granting permanent visas for refugees in Australia announced by Minister Morrison on 4 March was invalid. The Court held it conflicted with an obligation in the Migration Act to decide protection visa cases within 90 days, a provision inserted under the Howard Government in 2005. At the time, the Howard Government stated ‘that decisions on protection visa applications should be made in a timely and efficient manner so as to provide greater transparency and certainty for protection visa applicants.’
It seems this objective to provide ‘greater transparency and certainty’ is no longer the view of the Coalition in Government. Now the focus is on punishment with a policy that resembles a ‘fundamentalist belief’ rather than a properly articulated and balanced system. The obsession with people on boats is remarkable and has driven the Coalition especially under Morrison. It seems that there is nothing that people arriving by boat could do that would improve their image with the Government apart from taking money and going home to face the persecution they fear.
To view the article in full please click on the following link: More punishment for asylum seekers and refugees - Article by Kerry Murphy