Morrison Government’s deportation bill a harmful and unnecessary distraction
The Morrison Government, with the support of the ALP, last night passed damaging and unnecessary laws in the lower house, that would give the Immigration Minister more power to cancel visas and deport people who live in Australia.
Labor voted with the government to pass the Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test) Bill 2021 despite its comments that the bill was seriously flawed and unnecessary in light of the government’s existing powers.
Parliament’s own Human Rights Committee, chaired by Nationals MP Anne Webster, reported in December that it is “not clear that there is a ‘pressing and substantial need’ for the measures” in the bill.
It is unclear if the bill will be debated in the Senate in March in the two remaining Senate sittings days before the Federal election.
Scott Cosgriff, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre said;
“This was a shameful and deliberate attempt by the Morrison Government to demonise migrants and refugees as an election strategy. Parliament should not waste another minute on it.
“The bill would allow more people to be ripped away from their families, locked up in detention centres and deported to a country that is not their home, even when they have lived in Australia for decades.
“The ALP and the senate crossbench need to reject these unnecessary and harmful laws just as they did last year.
“Instead of playing politics with people’s lives in an attempt to divide and distract, the Morrison Government should focus on fixing the many failures of immigration detention. The first step should be to release the refugees it continues to unnecessarily keep in detention centres, and allow them to rebuild their lives in safety.”
Media contact:
Alex Sheehy, Media and Communications Manager, 0485 864 320, alex.sheehy@hrlc.org.au

High Court challenge for man facing deportation to Nauru returns to court
The legal challenge brought by a man facing deportation to Nauru will return to the High Court for hearing today. The case was filed after the Albanese Government attempted to exercise its new third country deportation powers for the first time
Read more
Nauru deportation delayed, but fight against new punitive powers continues
The Albanese Government has agreed to delay the deportation of a man to Nauru after he commenced legal proceedings on Friday. He is represented by the Human Rights Law Centre.
Read more
High Court challenge launched for man facing deportation to Nauru
Legal proceedings have today been filed for a man scheduled to be deported to Nauru on Monday, in the first exercise of the Albanese Government’s new third country deportation powers. The man is represented by the Human Rights Law Centre.
Read more