Labor and the Coalition have mostly agreed on harsh measures for refugees who flee here to escape war and persecution. Mano Yagolingam had been struggling, Chloe DS writes, largely because of being stuck in limbo for 12 years.
Refugee and Immigrant Rights
Labor's draconian bill, which would allow the immigration minister to send asylum seekers back to countries where they could be killed, is one of the worst decisions it has made since being elected, argues Sue Bull.
The Anthony Albanese government’s treatment of Palestinian refugees escaping the genocide in Gaza presents another blatant example of state-sponsored racism, argues Jonathan Strauss.
Labor's reaction to the High Court ruling that indefinite detention is unlawful underscores its continuing racist scapegoating of refugees, argues Jonathan Strauss.
It is no exaggeration to say that whether Dutton wins or loses, his racist campaign is already harming people, argues Peter Boyle.
Donald Trump’s victory has sent a wave of depression around the world, especially after the right-wing advances in Europe and the anti-immigrant race riots in England. Peter Boyle argues that the challenge for progressive movements has never been greater.
We are thrilled that Priya and Nades and their two children can return to Biloela in Queensland but we must keep the pressure on Labor.
Boat turn-backs don’t save lives at sea. The real meaning of this barbaric practice has always been “Fuck off and die somewhere else”
No matter what we think of Djokovic’s born-to-rule attitude, the government’s arbitrary and discriminatory use of its harsh border policies is not in our broader democratic interest.
Unions are rightly worried that guest workers from South-East Asia will be super-exploited by rural bosses who are used to paying sub-standard wages. The new visa is intended to allow shamefully low wages to continue.
Keeping people out of Australia under the guise of stopping “people smuggling” and “deaths at sea” is no excuse for government cruelty towards people escaping war, torture, persecution and death.
The truth is that Labor, like the Coalition, can be pressured by popular campaigns to adopt progressive policies; and we’d all be better off if Labor was forced to adopt better refugee policies.