Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill 2024
In late March 2024, the Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill was rushed through the House of Representatives with false urgency. This Bill gives the Minister for Immigration an unprecedented new power to require a person to do anything necessary to facilitate their removal from Australia, with five-year jail terms for failing to comply. The Bill also allows the Minister to impose a Trump-style travel ban by preventing visa applications from citizens of deemed ‘removal concern countries.’ The Bill has now been delayed and will require an inquiry. (read more here)
The Bill significantly expands the powers of the Minister with no adequate safeguards. Under the Bill, the Minister can unilaterally – subject only to consultation with the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs – designate a country to be a “removal concern country”, with the effect that almost all nationals from that country are prohibited from applying for any visa to come to Australia. And it is only the Minister who can decide in individual cases to lift that prohibition, but the Minister is under no duty to even consider a request. This is a dangerous and unjustified extension of the Minister’s broad suite of “god-like” powers. (read more here)
The Senate Inquiry into the Bill is happening this month and will report its findings on 7 May. A short government inquiry is accepting submissions into these proposed laws set out in the Bill; submissions close this Friday 12 April.
Actions you can take:
- Sign this open letter, prepared by 19+ Iranian-Australian Organisations here
- Write your own submission – use Democracy in Colour’s submission writing guide here and the official submission details here
- Join this Democracy in Colour submission workshop, Tuesday 6.00pm – 7.00pm AEDT here
- Email your Senators using the ASRC’s action tool here
- Sign the NUS Queer petition here
Other resources:
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