End of TPV regime

Last night it was announced that the Temporary Protection Visa regime will end. A Just Australia applauds the Minister for making this step, which will have a profound positive effect on many traumatised refugees living in our community.

There is an area that still needs to be resolved for TPV holders – family reunion. People on TPVs have been barred from family reunion programs, so we hope that the Minister will instruct the Department to give priority to applications from former TPV holders who have already been waiting for many years to be reunited with family members, many of whom are still in danger.

You can get more details on the changes on the Immigration website.

While there has been some great movement in asylum seeker policy, there is still so much more for AJA to do. See our latest newsletters for details on what's been achieved and what's left to do.

AJA at the 2020 summit

AJA’s National Coordinator, Kate Gauthier, was invited to the 2020 summit as a participant in the Governance stream rather than the social inclusion stream. The Governance stream discussed issues such as the republic, indigenous representation in parliament, indigenous recognition in the constitution and electoral reform. Issues that were relevant to AJA’s work included a bill or charter of rights, and increased community participation in government decision-making.

Refugee advocates are well represented in the summit: click here to see a report of AJAs work at the summit and to see who else attended.

The Road to Reform! 

A Just Australia has now met with the Minister's office 3 times this year (once was with the Minister) to advocate for reforms to the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.

There are many areas that need reform, but to achieve those AJA is pushing for a formal system for the advocacy, legal and welfare sector to have better formal processes to provide expert input on the development of new policies. Currently there is only formal input on critiquing current policy and practice, so the sector can only tinker around the edges of existing policy.

We need your help!

AJA can only continue this work with your financial help. We are undergoing our 2008 membership drive. Please see our donations page for ways you can support our work. And don't forget to sign up for our free newsletter to keep informed about the issues.

High Priority Issues we are working on:

Along with other organisations, AJA has identified 7 high priority issues we would like to see tackled in the first 100 days:

1. Ending the Temporary Protection Visas and Temporary Humanitarian Visas system
2. Ending the Pacific Solution
3. Release of long-term detained asylum seekers
4. Ministerial Intervention guidelines reviewed
5. Family Reunion for TPV and THV holders
6. Language - halt of negative language and cultural stereotyping, replaced with language which is grounded in human rights principles.
7. Work rights for Bridging Visas - abolishing the 45 day rule 

There are many more areas AJA would like to see changed. See our policy page for details on our campaign to Clean Up Our (Migration) Act, which includes 10 key steps to reform.