Wednesday 17 April 2013

Immigration slams 'poor' Manus centre

THE Immigration Department has made a scathing assessment of its own temporary processing facility on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, calling for it to be urgently replaced with a permanent site, as a second asylum-seeker vessel was detected off the mainland.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry established by Special Minister of State Gary Gray to determine what infrastructure upgrades are necessary on the reopened Pacific Solution site, the current facilities on Manus Island were heavily criticised.

"The temporary centre is cramped and recreation facilities are limited and in a poor state," the departmental submission reads.

"There is no reliable power supply, limited potable water to the facility and the buildings and tents have a very short life expectancy."

It was also slammed for being located in a low-lying swampy area that encourages mosquito breeding.

Immigration officials have raised concerns that despite pedestal fans being provided in tents, temperatures are soaring to 38C, triggering behavioural problems among the detainees.

They fear the conditions in the centre will "increase risk of self-harm (and) mental health problems" and have called on Labor to replace the temporary site with "urgency".

The highly critical description of the conditions on Manus came as a second asylum-seeker boat was detected about 28 nautical miles off the West Australian coastline, a week after 66 Sri Lankans sailed into Geraldton harbour on a donated fishing vessel.

Customs and Border Protection yesterday confirmed that a WA police boat helped to intercept the asylum-seeker vessel, which was carrying 72 passengers.

Several of the passengers were transferred to Broome for medical treatment, while the remainder were sent to Christmas Island for health and security checks.

The boat was detected by a Customs and Border Protection surveillance plane on Sunday, and boarded by authorities from HMAS Ararat about 28.5NM -- just over 50km -- northwest of Broome.

Acting opposition immigration spokesman Michael Keenan attacked Labor for delaying legislation to excise the mainland from the migration zone, saying this was the second boat in less than two weeks to make it close to the mainland.

"This is yet another embarrassment for the government in a week that has already seen an asylum boat make it all the way to Geraldton undetected and another vessel arrive in Flying Fish Cove on Christmas Island undetected," he said.

The majority of the 66 asylum-seekers aboard the Deutsche Bank fishing boat which sailed into Geraldton harbour last Tuesday continue to be interviewed at the Christmas Island detention centre.

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Australian employers, visa holders and applicants warned about migration changes

Immigration officials are keen that everyone from employers, visa holders and those considering moving to Australia should be aware of skilled migration options and the new laws and penalties that have been introduced recently.

Be visa aware, that is the message that is being sent out as outreach officers visit a series of locations to explain the significant changes to the employer sponsored skilled visa programme which were introduced in July of last year. The main changes are centred around SkillSelect, an online service that connects Australian employers with potential skilled migrants and streamlines the pathway to permanent residence for people already working in Australia on temporary skilled 457 visas.

Officials from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) believe it is important to educate businesses about their responsibility for checking to ensure that workers they employ are allowed to work in Australia. It has information on new laws recently passed by Parliament which introduce civil penalties and infringement notices for employers or suppliers of illegal workers.

Officials are vociferous in tracking down offenders and immigration compliance officers have, in the last few says, located 14 illegal workers and visa over stayers in a series of compliance operations in the New South Wales Illawarra and Southern Highlands regions. A total of nine men and five women were discovered to be unlawful. They indicate the range of different countries where immigrants come from with the group comprising of five Malaysians, six from China, and one each from Italy, Thailand and Vietnam. Eight of them were detained and transferred to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, where they will be removed from Australia at the earliest opportunity and six were granted bridging visas with strict conditions.

A number of the operations were conducted in response to community information provided to the department’s telephone dob-in line. While information was also received through other sources investigations into the circumstances of the employment of the illegal workers are still continuing.

    Quote from AustraliaForum.com : “14-02-2013 – Compliance officers from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) today located 11 illegal workers at a residential property in the northern Perth suburb of Girrawheen.”

Meanwhile, in a separate operation at private premises in the Sydney suburb of Canley Vale immigration compliance officers located five unlawful non-citizens. Two couples, from Malaysia and China, were detained and transferred to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre pending their removal from Australia while a Malaysian woman was granted a temporary bridging visa. ‘Employers should be aware it is a criminal offence to knowingly or recklessly allow a person to work illegally or to refer an illegal worker for work,’ a DIAC spokesman said.

It wants employers to be aware that the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service is available for them to check the relevant identification details of prospective employees, with their consent, to quickly confirm if they are eligible to work in Australia. Employers convicted under Commonwealth legislation of employing illegal workers face fines of up to $20,400 and two years’ imprisonment while companies face fines of up to $102,000 per illegal worker.

According to DIAC figures in 2011/2012 almost 2000 people were caught working illegally in Australia. ‘This activity continued across the country this financial year with a further 1,029 illegal workers found to December 31,’ the spokesman explained.

Monday 15 April 2013

Australia's immigration processes "procedurally flawed"

Refugee activists say they are horrified by the case of a Chinese man, who has sought protection in Australia after allegedly escaping torture in his homeland.

The Falun Gong practitioner's case was backed by the United Nations, but the Australian Government has not accepted the findings.

Correspondent: Karen Barlow

Speakers: Mr Chen, Falungong practitioner and asylum-seeker; Veronica Spasaro, refugee advocate, Balmain for Refugees

BARLOW: (sfx Chinese) The scars are fading, but the man who wishes to be known as Mr Chen can't forget.

CHEN: I was beaten while they handcuffed me by the bars.

BARLOW: Mr Chen practices Falun Gong.. the spiritual discipline outlawed in China since 1999. Its strong following, independence from the state and incitement of so-called disturbances were seen as a threat to the communist party.

CHEN: When I was detained by police I was beaten by the police with an electric stakes and fists and I was also burnt by the cigarettes.

BARLOW: In one case, Mr Chen says he was detained for 16 days.. and tortured every day and told to renounce his beliefs and give up the names of those who practiced Falun Gong with him. He says his home was ransacked, his belongings taken and he was beaten heavily..

CHEN: After I was released it took me about one month to recover. My whole body was really beaten up.

BARLOW: Mr Chen fled China in 2004 and came to Australia for protection (CUT: in 2004), leaving his wife and two sons. There's a grandson he has never seen. Supporters say a negligent migration agent mishandled his case. Mr Chen was ordered to a hearing, but the migration agent never told him to attend.

Veronica Spasaro is from Balmain for Refugees

SPASARO: In fact, that meant by the time he had exhausted all procedures in the domestic processes, he'd never actually been interviewed in person about his claim or his evidence

BARLOW: This led to an eight-year legal limbo and fears of deportation.

SPASARO: We'd exhausted every avenue.. we were convinced there was a grave injustice about to be made.

BARLOW: Mr Chen 's case was taken to the United Nations' Committee Against Torture in New York, which ruled last November that deportation would "Breach article 3 of the UN convention against torture.. " and that Australia's immigration processes were "..procedurally flawed."

The Australian Government response was to.."Not necessarily accept the conclusion" of the UN committee.

Veronica Spasaro spearheaded the UN effort on Mr Chen's behalf. .

SPASARO: When we read that response we were really appalled and horrified, actually.

BARLOW: Mr Chen's supporters say he suffers from trauma not only from torture and persecution in China... but from the eight year process of trying to stay in Australia.

It appears he now has to restart the process for protection."

THE Australian Permanent Mission to the UN wrote that the government was considering whether Mr Chen could "make a further application for a protection visa."

Veronica Spasaro says the response is opened ended.

SPASARO: The horrifying part really is, the possibility that he may in fact be given the opportunity to re-apply for protection, and of course if the last opportunity has taken eight years to play out, the next opportunity could also take eight years potentially.

BARLOW: A spokeswoman for the Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor says Mr Chen's claims and the findings of the United Nations Committee Against Torture will be given due consideration." Mr Chen just wants to get on with his life, which he says he won't have if he is returned to China.

CHEN: A lot of Falun Gong practitioners are tortured to death so this may happen to me as well.

BARLOW: He is also very concerned about his family back home.. he says he has been informed on by fellow detainees in the Villawood detention Centre in Sydney.

CHEN: Some deported back to China already.. they told the police I was still practising Falun Gong. The police threatened my family that I should go back to China soon, quickly . And last year in November my wife was detained for about 4 to 5 days.

BARLOW: Mr Chen's been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

CHEN: I have no choice. I am afraid of going back to China.

BARLOW: So it is life in limbo.. for Mr Chen.

Sunday 7 April 2013

State's policy push on population stalls

SOUTH Australia's Labor government abandoned its promise to create a population policy in "co-ordination" with the federal government in the weeks after Julia Gillard deposed Kevin Rudd and torpedoed his "big Australia" push.

The development of a population platform for South Australia was launched in association with a policy being formulated by federal Labor in 2010, with minister Tom Koutsantonis charged with putting a final proposal to cabinet by the middle of 2011.

He told parliament that the national policy would "inform, and be informed by, South Australia's revised policy".

But although Population Minister Tony Burke released a national strategy in May 2011 -- without a target -- the promised South Australian review and policy never materialised.

Mr Koutsantonis yesterday refused to comment on whether his review was ever completed, or if a policy position was ever presented to cabinet for approval.

Premier Jay Weatherill also did not answer those questions, but in a statement said the "government's commitment to create a population policy was made under the former (Labor) premier".

"My focus is on where population growth is directed within South Australia and how we can live sustainably," he said.

"In particular, we are encouraging a substantial increase in population in the CBD and in regional towns."

He said that since taking over the premiership from Mike Rann in 2011, he had identified that "migration is a key driver of economic growth" and he was "actively pursuing South Australia's fair share of the migration intake".

This follows revelations last week in The Australian that the state Labor government was among the biggest users of the 457 visa program that Julia Gillard has vowed to reform because of employer "rorts".

The Premier yesterday said South Australia's state strategic plan had set a population target of two million by 2050, and the state had already met an interim target of 1.64 million people by 2014.

Ms Gillard has been opposed to any population policy being driven by a single, arbitrary number. Mr Rudd, when he was prime minister, said he believed in a "big Australia" but the government's position changed when Ms Gillard took over in June 2010.

The Coalition's population policy includes a target of 29 million by 2050.

Mr Koutsantonis was to have appointed a steering group and a team of population experts to assist his review. The state's last detailed policy on population, Prosperity Through People, was published in 2004, and predicted a population decline to 2030 because of falling fertility rates, the ageing population and SA's low share of international migration.

Opposition economic development spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith said the state's population only grew by 1 per cent last year and questioned whether SA Labor's policy was rebuffed by Ms Gillard.

Monday 1 April 2013

Labor's 457 visa push disgraceful and racist, says Rupert Murdoch

NEWS Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch has branded Labor's language on foreign workers as "pretty disgraceful and racist".

Speaking in Darwin today, Mr Murdoch expressed strong support for the role migration could take to meet labour requirements in developing Australia's north.

“I think the way they are talking about (457 visas) is pretty disgraceful and racist,” the media mogul told Sky News.

“But I'm a big one for encouraging immigration. Just look at America, it's just fantastic. You know, you have difficulties (with the) first generation of migrants, if there's too many people from one area. But you know, they meld in a couple of generations. It leads to tremendous creativity in the community.”

Labor has been ramping up a pre-election campaign against overseas workers, suggesting the 457 visa system has been widely rorted, allowing foreigners to take Australian jobs.

Mr Murdoch said he was excited by the prospect of developing northern Australia and believed private enterprise should play the lead role in boosting Top End investment.

He said the role of government was to provide infrastructure and incentives to encourage investment and labour to relocate to the Northern Territory.

“Right now there is no unemployment in Darwin, and how do we get people to work and come up here?

“We've got to get skilled people up from the south here, and if we still need more people, then we've got to have some migration; that's good.”

News Corporation is the parent company of News Limited, which publishes The Australian.

Julia Gillard has argued her crackdown on foreign workers is about “putting the opportunities of Australian working people first, front and centre”.

However, industry groups have criticised the campaign, saying there is no systematic rorting of the scheme and pointing to skills shortages in key occupational areas.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said Ms Gillard's 457 rhetoric was a “naked grab for votes and a naked pledge to the union movement which has taken control of immigration policy”.

The Prime Minister's office is yet to comment.