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A Just Australia campaigns for policies toward refugees and asylum seekers that at all times reflects respect, decency and traditional Australian generosity to those in need, while advancing Australia’s international standing and national interests. We campaign for just and compassionate treatment of refugees, consistent with the human rights standards that Australia has developed and endorsed.
In 2009, A Just Australia merged with the Refugee Council of Australia, bringing together two of the most significant voices on refugee policy. See our board for more details.
Latest News
2010 Membership driveThe current Government has suspended processing asylum claims from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and has announced they will house them in a reopened Curtin detention centre - the most notorious of the Howard era. Asylum seekers will now be kept in a cruel limbo, anxious about their future safety, and held in isolation in the remote Australia desert. The Opposition has declared they will be even tougher, threatening to turn boats back at sea and bring back temporary protection visas. And elements in the media have gone back to the bad old days, calling asylum seekers "illegals." A Just Australia continues to counter the winding back of policy reform, by promoting positive policies in the media and with politicians. And of course by keeping our members informed so they can get involved. But to continue this work we need your help - and now more than ever. Each dollar you give to AJA has an enormous impact on just and humane policy reform for asylum seekers. Please see our donations page to see how your financial support will help the campaign.
Government suspends some asylum processing, reopens worst remote detention centreThe Government has halted processing for asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, as well as announced they will re-open Curtin detention centre in Western Australia. On 9 April, the Government announced they would suspend protection visa processing from Sri Lankan asylum seekers for 3 months, and Afghani asylum seekers for 6 months. At the end of the period, the suspensions would be re-evaluated, based on the latest country security assessments from UNHCR. There is no guarantee there would not be rolling suspensions, effectively creating indefinite detention. On 18 April, the Government announced they would reopen Curtin detention centre to house asylum seekers whose cases are suspended. Curtin was the worst of the remote detention centres run under the Howard Government, all of which came under intense criticism for human rights abuses. The combination of keeping people in limbo as to their future safety, while keeping them in extreme isolation in a desolate area, will create a pressure-cooker environment that will inevitably create anxiety disorders in some of the detained refugees. UNHCR has said: "The combination of mandatory detention, suspension of asylum claims and the geographical isolation of detention facilities such as Curtin Air Force Base in Western Australia - all without any effective judicial oversight - is a deeply troubling set of factors."
Please take actionPlease write a letter to the Prime Minister and to the Minister for Immigration and voice your opposition to this move.The Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP Prime Minister of Australia Senator the Hon. Chris Evans
PO Box 6022
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A Just Australia Inc |
