Does the legislation scrap existing debts and pay back any money taken from people who came to Australia and were later found to be genuine refugees? No. So no recompense for the scumminess that was inflicted upon them, but some comfort in the fact it won't happen to anyone else.
The debts had impeded spouses seeking permanent visas, prevented former detainees from being reunited with family members, even on occasions when the former detainee had been found to be a refugee.
Just lovely. The legislation has been in place for nearly two decades (since 1992) and no Australian government has seen fit to scrap it. They were all happy to let that policy stand. It says a lot about the calibre of people who hold power in this country.
5 comments:
Need to think outside the box here for a second. Government revenues are shrinking due to the GFC... why not charge:
- refugees? (bring it back)
- mental patients?
- the disabled?
- alcoholics?
- drug addicts?
- cancer patients?
Basically, if you are getting something above and beyond, something for nothing so to speak, we should bleed you dry. Except for negative gearing, of course. Can't scrap that.
We'd have the budget back in the black in no time!
You forgot prisoners!
* Even those who were later found to be innocent.
*Especially* those later found to be innocent. Bastards! Making a mockery of the court system like that!
The practice of charging detainees is included in the Migration Act of 1958 so it has been on the books for ages.
Note that the proposed legislation will extinguish all outstanding immigration detention debts.
http://www.chrisevans.alp.org.au/news/0309/immispeeches18-01.php
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