Refugee Advocacy Network

A court decision yesterday has meant that up to 120 asylum seekers  may avoid deportation to Afghanistan. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen’s handling of the Afghan man’s case was described as “disturbing” and deemed  unlawful and unfair. Pamela Curr from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre briefly explains: Russell Kennedy Lawyers have successfully represented a 34 year old Hazara man in a Federal Court application to prevent him being forcibly returned to Afghanistan without his claims for asylum being assessed in accordance with the law. At 2pm yesterday, Justice…

It is understood that a large number of Hazara asylum seekers are under threat of deportation to Afghanistan.   A pivotal  decision from 5 judges in the federal Court will be handed down in Melbourne Federal Court at 2pm on Wednesday 20 March 2013. One hundred and twenty Hazara lives hang in the balance of this decision. Already six Hazara men who have been re-detained for deportation, have had their removal stayed as a result of this as yet still outstanding decision.…

Victoria joins the other Australian states in “hosting” families in a 300 place detention centre at MITA in Broadmeadows. The first buses rolled in last week with families and children on board to MITA 3. The detention construction industry has it down to a fine art now- dongas (temporary huts) are trucked in, a concrete apron is rolled out, a corrugated iron roof dropped over the top and rows and rows of fencing rolled out and bingo- home to asylum…