Australia: Rudd government modifies immigration detention regime

Evans said the changes were necessary because the public had lost confidence in the fairness and integrity of our immigration system. In particular, the detention of children behind razor wire had caused outrage in the community. However, he also emphasised the Labor governments commitment to maintaining the Howard governments architecture.

Mandatory detention will continue, albeit in a modified form, along with the use of the navy and air force to intercept and turn back refugee boats. Australias offshore territories will remain excised from the immigration zone, depriving asylum seekers of access to the courts and other basic legal rights. Refugees will still be detained on Christmas Island, a remote outpost in the Indian Ocean.

Evanss announcement simply means that immigration officials will not automatically detain all asylum seekers indefinitely, as has been the policy, with few exceptions, since 1992. Although the changes have been widely hailed by the media and human rights groups, the mandatory detention legislation remains in place, leaving the basic rights of asylum seekers at the whim of the government.

While providing no details of the new policy, Evans outlined three categories of people who will still be detained:

Read More