Latest media releases

A call for TPVs is a call for increasing asylum boats.

20 April 2009

A Just Australia has today said that federal Coalition calls to reintroduce temporary protection visas (TPVs) would increase asylum boat numbers. Read more.

Asylum seeker numbers reflect global trends

16 April 2009

A Just Australia, a national refugee policy organisation, has today called for rational debate on the recent asylum seeker arrivals.

"It is unfortunate that some have sought to exploit desperate asylum seekers for political advantage. The fact is that Australia is experiencing the same small increase in numbers currently happening all over the world. There is no increase due to policy change." said Kate Gauthier, National Coordinator. Read more.

Detention report a disappointment to human rights groups

1 December 2008

A Just Australia, a national refugee policy group, has today voiced bitter disappointment at some of the recommendations of the latest parliamentary inquiry into immigration detention. Read more.

Welcome changes to detention

28 July 2008

Today the Immigration Minister has announced a major shift in the approach to the detention of asylum seekers, so that where a person is not a threat to the community, they should not be detained. Read more.

Ministerial intervention is 'playing God with sanctuary': new report

21 June 2008

A dangerous gap exists in Australia's refugee system that means people threatened with torture and gross human rights violations are being sent back to their country of origin after years in detention centres because they do not fit the technical definition of a 'refugee', according to a joint report by refugee policy group A Just Australia (AJA) and Oxfam released today. Read more.

A welcome Budget for refugees

13 May 2008

A Just Australia has today welcomed the Rudd Government budget announcements for refugees and asylum seekers. Read more.

Labor's commitment to asylum seekers?

8 May 2008

A Just Australia says that the Immigration Minister's comment that people who are seeking Ministerial Intervention have already been found not to be owed Australia's protection does not tell the full story. Read more.

Closure of Nauru Detention Welcomed

7 December 2007

A Just Australia today welcomed the Rudd Government's decision to being the winding up of the so-called Pacific Solution. Read more.

Protect Our Borders and Our Values at the Same Time

30 October 2007

"Australians might be surprised to know that children are still held in detention under our laws. Our policies would ensure this could never happen again," Ms Gauthier said. Read more.

It's time for an answer for the Burmese 7

13 October 2007

Monday 15th October marks the one-year anniversary of the Burmese asylum seekers on Nauru lodging applications for protection visas. The Government has wasted time and money on keeping these Burmese men in limbo. To continue to keep them waiting is not only cruel, but it's a waste of taxpayer dollars and raises questions about the competence of the Department's decision-making processes. Read more.

Tampa Revisited?

5 October 2007

It beggars belief that the Minister would view being violently attacked as evidence that a person has not been integrated into the Australian community. Surely this should be seen as a sad indictment of the wider Australian community and not of Sudanese refugees.

Is this really an issue of a lack of integration or a cheap pre-election way of playing the race card?" Read more.

Deportations put Australia in Breach of Refugee Convention

27 September 2007

"We find it unacceptable that our Government would breach our legal obligations to people needing our protection, particularly as it is not for border security but simply to appease a foreign Government. This has made Australia complicit in Indonesia's human rights abuses." said Kate Gauthier, National Coordinator. Read more.

Government Breaks Australian Values Again

12 September 2007

A Just Australia calls on the Government to immediately resettle in Australia the 72 Sri Lankan refugees currently detained on Christmas Island. "If the Government continues to attempt to avoid our protection responsibilities by seeking third countries to take these refugees, Australia will be breaching fundamental international laws which prohibit the detention of refugees." said Kate Gauthier, National Coordinator. Read more.

FEDERAL POLITICIANS TO FACE INTEGRITY TEST ON 'VALUES'

4 September 2007

"There has been a lot said by Australian politicians about 'Australian values' over the past few years but little has been done to put them into practice, particularly when it comes to the way we treat refugees and asylum seekers," National Co-ordinator, Kate Gauthier said. Read more.

Immigration Minister Soft on Law

13 July 2007

Minister Andrews keeps referring to asylum seekers as 'illegal boat people' when in fact it does not break any laws when a person enters Australia for the purpose of seeking asylum. It is shameful that the Minister responsible for this law is either ignorant of it, or is deliberately misleading the Australian public. Read more.

10,0000 Australians say NO to Christmas Island detention

14 June 2007

A Just Australia, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, National Council of Churches and Refugee Action Collective have gathered over 10,000 signatures on a petition that calls for the closure of the Christmas Island detention centre. Read more.

AJA welcomes ALP refugee policy reform

30 April 2007

National refugee campaign group, A Just Australia, welcomes the policy direction taken at the first day of the Australian Labor Party National Conference. Delegates voted to abolish the use of Temporary Protection Visas, as well as grant work rights for asylum seekers. Read more.

Asylum seekers sent to Nauru

15 March 2007

National refugee policy group, A Just Australia, is dismayed at today's announcement that all but one of the recently arrived Sri Lankan asylum seekers held on Christmas Island are to be sent to Nauru. Read more.

Returning Asylum Seekers a Breach of Australian Values

24 February 2007

"The proposal to send these asylum seekers back offends basic Australians values and violates international
standards for human rights. It will break the most basic of refugee
protection laws which strictly prohibit the return of people to face persecution." said Kate Gauthier, National Coordinator. Read more.