Amnesty International Australia has made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s Inquiry into the Ending Indefinite and Arbitrary Immigration Detention Bill 2021.
Amnesty maintains that both mandatory and indefinite detention, wherever they occur, are a breach of Australia’s international human rights obligations.
The Australian Government’s current policy towards refugees and people seeking asylum has caused untold psychological and physical damage to refugees and people seeking asylum. It has undermined Australia’s diplomatic relations with regional neighbours and its reputation as a country that respects international law; and it has come at a financial cost of more than ten billion dollars.
In it’s submission, Amnesty has supported the changes to the Migration Act 1958 proposed in the Bill, as they address key issues directly and establish a human rights based approach to immigration detention practices.
The Federal Parliament should use this inquiry as an opportunity to make positive changes to restore Australia’s reputation and ensure refugees and people seeking asylum are treated with dignity and respect and in accordance with international human rights law.
