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Immigration Dept’s budget blow out was avoidable with time limits and more community release places: Greens

May 9, 2012

The blow out of more than $1 billion dollars in the Immigration Department’s budget was avoidable had the government finally put time limits on detention and increased community release places, the Australian Greens said today. “The annual average cost of a community release programme is $10,400 per person, compared to more than $137,000 if an asylum seeker is kept indefinitely in a detention centre,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said. “Detention centre operating costs are of course higher for…

Reduce Immigration Dept’s slice of budget spending with detention time limits and more community release places: Greens

May 6, 2012

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Archived Press Releases

The government can trim the Immigration Department’s budget from blowing out in the vicinity of $3 billion this Tuesday by putting time limits on detention and funding more community release places for asylum seekers, the Australian Greens say. “It’s 90 percent cheaper and 100 percent fairer for asylum seekers to live in the community once health and security checks prove it’s safe than warehousing them in detention centres,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, said today. “Given community release schemes cost…

Home placement scheme for asylum seekers compassionate and cheaper way to care for refugees: Greens

May 3, 2012

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Archived Press Releases

The Gillard government’s offer of payments to Australians who want to house asylum seekers is a compassionate move that will improve the mental health of fragile people and save taxpayers money, the Greens said today. “The Greens are pleased the Immigration Department sees the sense of a home placement scheme, which is a better use of public money than keeping asylum seekers detained indefinitely while their protection claims are assessed,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said. “Various forms of…

Govt review of 24 Indonesian kids’ cases long overdue and now the law must be changed: Greens

May 3, 2012

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Archived Press Releases

The Australian Greens are relieved the Attorney-General has finally agreed to review the cases of 24 convicted Indonesian boat crew who may be children. The Greens have renewed calls on the government to back Greens’ legislation already before the parliament to ensure no child is locked in an adult prison. “Any child found to be imprisoned in an adult jail must be released and sent home to their family with a sincere apology,” Greens’ immigration and human rights spokesperson, Sen.…

Bowen maintains shameful policy of keeping 428 asylum seeker children detained: Greens

April 27, 2012

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Archived Press Releases

Figures showing 428 children remain detained demonstrate the Immigration Minister continues to flout our international obligations and neglects his duty as legal guardian to act in their best interests, the Australian Greens said today. “Australia is still punishing, rather than protecting, vulnerable children by locking them up simply because they have fled war, torture and persecution,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said. “We must change the law because children are being detained as a matter of course and the…