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The parliamentary deadlock over asylum seekers is over. On Monday the Government's independent Expert Panel issued its recommendations, and the Gillard Government has said they'll comply with all 22 of them, including a return to processing asylum seekers on Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Legislation is now before Parliament, and passed the House of Representatives with the Coalition's support just a short time ago.
Amid many recommendations we disagree with, the Expert Panel also stressed the need to improve treatment of asylum seekers in offshore detention, including:
- treatment consistent with human rights standards;
- appropriate accommodation;
- access to education, and to mental and physical health services;
- assistance with asylum applications;
- merit-based application review by senior officials and NGO representatives; and
- oversight and monitoring of conditions by civil society.
Use the tool on the right to email your MP and tell them that we'll be making sure they keep their promise to ensure asylum seekers are treated fairly.
Amid many recommendations we disagree with, the Expert Panel also stressed the need to improve treatment of asylum seekers in offshore detention, including:
- treatment consistent with human rights standards;
- appropriate accommodation;
- access to education, and to mental and physical health services;
- assistance with asylum applications;
- merit-based application review by senior officials and NGO representatives; and
- oversight and monitoring of conditions by civil society.
Use the tool on the right to email your MP and tell them that we'll be making sure they keep their promise to ensure asylum seekers are treated fairly.
For more details, see GetUp's joint submission to the Expert Panel, developed with allies across the refugee sector. Download the report 'Refugee and Asylum Seeker Policy: A third way' here.