Biloela Tamil family says government's proposed migration laws would have seen them jailed abc.net.au/news/2024-05-0… via ABC Australia

Have we learned nothing from the ongoing cruelty to this family? People matter, their kids, hopes and dreams matter. The Albanese Government is actively planning to separate families and communities with these awful new asylum and immigration laws.

Today the Senate committee into the Govt's Entry Ban and Deportation bill handed down it's report. Despite the overwhelming community opposition to the bill, the ALP majority report recommended the bill pass. A thread 🧵👇🏽 ASRC

Comment after comment into the inquiry echoed community concerns for the bill that would separate families, criminalise refugees and could deport people back to danger. Yet, the majority report ignored these legitimate and real concerns.

It’s beyond comprehension that the committee has read through hundreds of submissions and listened to hours of evidence opposing the bill, yet the majority report still recommends the law be passed with ONE minor 'consideration'. No amendments. No safeguards to protect refugees.

One impacted community stated ''With the way this has been done, there has not been any consultation and no-one has been spoken to about this bill. No-one knows exactly what is going on. So there is that anxiety and panic within the community as to what will happen''.

Another commented ''The bill creates barriers to family reunification for many migrants and refugees…This could result in significant emotional distress and hardship for individuals who are unable to reunite with their loved ones in Australia.''

We all consider ourselves Australians and we want what's best for our country. It would be a shame and it would be a loss to disregard and throw away the benefits and the privileges that Australia has been endowed with as a migrant country.

It's not only the community that raised concerns but also human rights groups, refugees and a number of committee members with dissenting reports from the Coalition, Greens and Senator Pocock. The fact that the committee is split on this bill is telling.

At the last election people voted to reject fear and voted for compassion and fairness. This bill is neither compassionate for fair and must be opposed outright.

Every single submission to the inquiry on Albanese's anti-refugee and travel ban bill (except for the submission made by people who are paid by the Commonwealth) opposed it. Scrap this Bill.

ASF17 dismissed. Raises more questions about the need for the Bill which imposes a penalty of imprisonment for alleged non-compliance with removal?

With ASF17’s appeal dismissed unanimously, justifying ongoing (indefinite?) detention, what need for a Bill that criminalises non-cooperation with removal? #auspol

The deportation bill that the Albanese Government is trying to pass this week includes the power to be able to jail people seeking asylum who they want to deport, despite that person still having legitimate court proceedings or a humanitarian request before the Minister on foot.

We're setting up for the #EvacuateNow action, calling on MPs to evacuate the 46 people stranded in PNG and the 94 held in detention in Nauru. We kick off at 12pm, hearing directly from survivors of Australia's brutal offshore processing centres. ACT folks, come on down!