Craig Hill Media and Consulting
Asylum Seekers
Australian immigration minister orders asylum-seekers to be called “illegals”
Let us call a spade a spade shall we, Scott Morrison? Your edict, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, that detention staff and members of your department now refer to asylum seekers as “illegal maritime arrivals” is shameless and shameful. It is a brutish manipulation of language to suit your, and your government’s, political purposes. … Continue reading
Australia forms anti-people smuggling deal with Malaysia
Australia has struck a series of deals with Malaysia to limit the transit of asylum-seekers across its territory to Indonesia. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, the first Abbott government minister to visit Malaysia, has returned from meetings with Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid with agreements on “operational co-operation” under his belt. “I was pleased to reboot … Continue reading
Australian staff evacuated from asylum detention centre after conflict between Papua New Guinea security forces
The Australian immigration minister, Scott Morrison, has confirmed that Australian staff were evacuated from the regional processing centre on Manus Island after an incident involving “Papua New Guinean agencies”. The minister, who said he had not been fully briefed on the incident, said details were a “matter for the Papua New Guinean government to address”. … Continue reading
UN slams Australia for plan to send asylum seekers home
The United Nations has slammed as a possible breach of the Refugee Convention the Australian government’s plans to speedily send a group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers home. The boatload of asylum seekers believed to be from Sri Lanka arrived at the far-flung Australian territory of Cocos Islands on Thursday – the first such group … Continue reading
Australia’s Prime Minister apologises to Malaysia for second time in a week
Tony Abbott has apologised to an Asian leader for the second time in a week over his robust political campaigning before he was elected, offering an “act of contrition” for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. The Australian Prime Minister acknowledged in a meeting with Mr Najib at the APEC conference late on Monday that … Continue reading
Australian government’s information control policy fails dismally, reflects badly
Despite his habit of making bewildering proclamations (”Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been haircuts”), Jim Morrison is responsible for a piece of wisdom that has resonated through the ages: ”Whoever controls the media, controls the mind”. Control or limit the information available to people, and you frame the debate to your … Continue reading
Australian senator wants to charge asylum seekers $50,000
Australia‘s Liberal Democratic Senator David Leyonhjelm has proposed a radical plan to charge asylum-seekers $50,000 to come to Australia “through the front door”. Mr Leyonhjelm, who will join the Senate on July 1, will be one of eight crossbench senators who will hold the balance of power in the new Senate. Speaking on Sky … Continue reading
Asylum seekers drown on way to Australia
About 20 people, mostly children under 15 years old, died when an asylum seeker vessel sank off the southern coast of Java on its way to Australia. Adjunct Commissioner Warsono from the Agrabinta Police has confirmed that 25 people were rescued before the search was called off at nightfall. He could not say how many … Continue reading
Indonesia warns Australia against turning back asylum-seeker boats
Indonesia has raised the ante in its dispute with the Abbott government over turning back asylum-seeker boats, saying its plan puts at risk Jakarta‘s “close cooperation and trust”. The warning came as Tony Abbot sought to reassure the Jakarta “we absolutely respect Indonesia’s sovereignty and we would never do or propose anything which is contrary … Continue reading
Australian government stops flow of information about asylum seekers
The Australian Coalition government has shut down the flow of information on the arrival of asylum vessels and the transfer of people offshore under the military-led Operation Sovereign Borders. Despite seizing on public information to attack the Labor government for every unauthorised vessel intercepted over the last six years, newly sworn-in Immigration Minister Scott Morrison … Continue reading
Australia’s military takes over border protection; SAS commander in charge
Deputy Chief of Army Angus Campbell will be named Tony Abbott‘s three-star military commander of border protection, with the job of co-ordinating the new government’s tough asylum-seeker policies. The former SAS commander and deputy National Security Adviser has emerged as Defence’s choice to head up the 16 departments and agencies under the Coalition’s Operation Sovereign … Continue reading
Indonesian asylum-seekers give up hope on Australia
As the realisation takes hold that they are shut out of Australia, growing numbers of asylum-seekers trapped in Indonesia are considering voluntarily returning to their homelands. Asylum-seekers in Cisarua, south of Jakarta, told The Australian that Tony Abbott’s election victory was the final blow to lingering hopes of getting to Australia by boat and being allowed … Continue reading
Indonesia rejects Australian people-smuggler plan
Jakarta has signalled its reluctance to embrace a key plank of Tony Abbott‘s asylum-seeker policy, with the Indonesian Foreign Minister criticising the plan to pay villagers for information about people-smugglers, saying it risked undermining his nation’s sovereignty. In a day of tension between Australia and its nearest neighbour, a policy row also erupted over foreign … Continue reading
Indonesia invites Australia for controversial “turn back the boats” asylum-seeker talks
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has opened the way for Australia’s Tony Abbott to make his first foreign visit as prime minister to Indonesia, with bilateral talks on the controversial policy of turning around asylum-seeker boats possible within a fortnight. The development came as another key plank of Mr Abbott’s asylum-seeker policy began to take … Continue reading
Australian opposition plans to relegate asylum seekers to military, keep numbers secret
Australians may never know how many asylum-seeker boats arrive under a Coalition government, with opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison refusing to release details about boat arrivals without the approval of a three-star general. The Coalition has previously said it would appoint a three-star military officer to command a joint taskforce, which will include some 12 … Continue reading
Australia captures five major people smugglers
Federal police have arrested five ‘major’ alleged people smugglers operating in Australia. Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Steve Lancaster made the announcement on Thursday after a series of raids across the country. The AFP has described it as Australia’s largest ever people smuggling strike. Mr Lancaster says four of the five people – three Afghans, … Continue reading
Indonesia says Australian opposition party unfriendly, insulting
Australian opposition party leader Tony Abbott‘s plan to buy boats from Indonesian fishermen to prevent the vessels being used by people smugglers has been slammed by Jakarta as unfriendly and an insult to Indonesia. The buyback plan has met with heavy resistance in Jakarta, with a senior member of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono‘s ruling Coalition … Continue reading
Iran, Pakistan, Thailand snub human trafficking conference in Jakarta; Australia well represented
Iran, the largest source of boat people landing in Australia this year, has boycotted today’s special regional conference on asylum-seekers and human trafficking. The Iranians’ failure to appear casts further doubt on the capacity of the ministerial conference to agree on coordinated “concrete measures” for curbing asylum-seeker flows across the region. Pakistan, another major source … Continue reading
People smugglers take to the sky with Australian asylum seekers
People smugglers are concocting a new and expensive product to sell their asylum seeker clients – flying them into Australia on fake tourist visas to sidestep the harsh policies of both political parties aimed at boat arrivals. Three separate groups of Iranian asylum seekers in the Indonesian province of West Java have told Fairfax Media … Continue reading
Australians more concerned over jobs than asylum seekers
Australian workers are more worried about job security and the ability to pay their bills than they are about refugee policies, according to a large poll of union members. The Australian Council of Trade Unions surveyed 120,000 members over the past 14 weeks about election issues. Of those, 102,000 were asked specific questions about policy … Continue reading
Australia says boat arrivals down 30pc since Papua New Guinea plan commenced
Kevin Rudd has declared that Labor’s Papua New Guinea asylum-seeker plan has driven down boat arrivals by 30 per cent since it was announced. ”In the month or so since we’ve had this policy implemented I am advised that boat arrivals are down by 30 per cent,” Mr Rudd said. Mr Rudd was speaking after … Continue reading
Australia ignores teenaged refugees in Indonesia until adulthood
Teenage refugees joining the so-called queue in Indonesia to apply officially for protection visas, instead of jumping on a boat, say they are being told Australia will not take them until they are 18 years old. The boys, who are stuck in limbo in Jakarta, said that even though they have been determined to be … Continue reading
Australia neglects Aboriginal crisis for asylum seekers
Tony Abbott‘s indigenous affairs spokesman Nigel Scullion has attacked both sides of politics for an obsession with “boats” over indigenous Australians, arguing the bigger crisis was with closing the gap. In comments that criticise the current focus on border security, the Northern Territory senator said he thought this issue should have a higher priority. Senator … Continue reading
Australia provides Papua New Guinea extra funding
Australia will provide extra funding for newly prioritised projects in Papua New Guinea – on top of the existing $507 million aid program – under Kevin Rudd’s asylum-seeker deal. PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told The Australian these new projects – such as the rebuilding of the Lae hospital, whose cost has been estimated at … Continue reading
UN warns Australia that asylum seeker policy may breach international law
The United Nations refugee agency has warned Australia that its decision to send asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea could breach international law and its human rights obligations. Around 700 asylum seekers have arrived at Christmas Island since the deal was announced last week, and will be eligible to be resettled in PNG, not in Australia, if … Continue reading
Craig Hill Media and Consulting 