CANBERRA: September 10 2012: UNHCR's formal advice to the Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship relating to the Minister's designation of the Republic of Nauru as a 'regional processing country' under Migration Act 1958 was tabled in Parliament on 10 September 2012, and is available ....
13 August 2012
Statement
UNHCR Regional Office Canberra
Expert Panel Report
UNHCR notes with deep interest the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Asylum-Seekers, in its report released today.
UNHCR agrees that there are no quick or simple solutions to the complexity of irregular movement of people coming into and through the region, including, but by no means exclusively to Australia.
In principle, UNHCR supports the Report’s conclusion that a sustained and strategic engagement, ....
.jpg "Submission by UNHCR on the New Zealand Immigration Amendment Bill 2012")
8 June 2012: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Immigration Amendment Bill 2012, introduces a number of measures that will have a direct impact on the manner in which a new category of asylum-seeker and refugee is received and processed on arrival in New Zealand. download ....
16 December 2011: UNHCR draws the attention of the Joint Select Committee to the experience in a number of jurisdictions, notably Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, which provide for the role of a special advocate to represent the interests of an applicant in any proceedings involving classified information. download ....
19 August 2011: UNHCR has longstanding and well-known concerns about the mandatory detention of asylum-seekers and refugees who arrive in Australia in an ‘unauthorized’ manner." UNHCR welcomed the introduction of the Key Immigration Detention Values, but is concerned that they are not enshrined in law, nor are they being applied systematically to refugees, asylumseekers and stateless persons throughout Australia, particularly in relation to ‘irregular maritime arrivals’. download ....
Amman, Jordan, 27 - 28 June 2011: This expert meeting is one in a series of events organized to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.1 Participants included 23 experts drawn from governments, non-governmental organizations, policy institutes, academia and international organizations. A discussion paper was prepared by UNHCR. download summary ....
9 -10 June 2011: The Expert Roundtable outlined the Australian legal and policy settings, monitoring and oversightmechanisms, and NGO perspectives on detention reform. The main objectives of the Expert Roundtablewere to explore the expansion of the alternatives presently available in Australia, and to identify potentialalternatives to immigration detention in light of international best practices... Download Co-Chairs' Statement & Download Roundtable Summary ....
24 June 2011: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee in its Inquiry into Migration Amendment (Detention Reform and Procedural Fairness) Bill 2010...download ....
25 May 2011: UNHCR’s submission addresses issues in the Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test and Other Provisions) Bill 2011 insofar as they affect refugees, asylumseekers and stateless persons, and focuses specifically on their consistency with relevant international law and standards....download ....
1 April 2011: UNHCR’s submission addresses issues specifically relating to the third key issue identified in the Terms of Reference of the Review, notably the working arrangements and relationships between the intelligence agencies – in particular the Australian Intelligence Security Organisation (ASIO) – and policy and operational areas of government,3 insofar as they affect refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons, and focuses specifically on the implications of the activities of the ....
19 October 2010: UNHCR welcomes the Government of New Zealand’s release of the consultation paper, Legal Aid Quality Framework Paper, and the opportunity to provide comments on the two aspects of the framework – proposed criteria for approval as a legal aid provider (entry criteria) and standards which legal aid lawyers should meet to ensure that legal aid services are of an acceptable quality (practice standards)...download ....
October 2009: Australia’s resettlement programme is in many ways a model for other resettlement countries. UNHCR appreciates the ongoing partnership of the Government of Australia in protection of refugees through resettlement and is pleased to provide comments in the interests of the further development of that program.
Within the Australian Offshore Humanitarian Program, UNHCR is of the view that it is essential that protection remain the paramount objective and that human rights ....
30 September 2009: UNHCR welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Australian Senate's Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee in its inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Complementary Protection) Bill 2009...download ....
5 August 2009: UNHCR welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Australian Senate's Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee in its inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Immigration Detention Reform) Bill 2009.
UNHCR's submission address issues in the Bill insofar as they affect refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons, and focuses specifically on their consistency with relevant international law and standards...download ....
January 2009: UNHCR welcomes the proposed introduction in Australia of a legislative basis to protect persons who may not qualify as refugees but who are nonetheless in need of protection, based on international human rights instruments...download ....
September 2008: UNHCR welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration in its Inquiry into Immigration Detention in Australia.
UNHCR's submission address its comments only to issues that affect asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons, and takes into account policy announcements with regard to immigration detention made on 29 July 2008 by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship...download ....
UNHCR welcomes the announcement by the Government of New Zealand to develop a cross-government strategy to deal with people trafficking, and the preparation of a discussion paper by the Interagency Working Group on People Trafficking on the proposed approach, development and implementation of a plan of action to prevent and combat people trafficking...download submission to the Department of ....
4 July 2008: UNHCR welcomes the Government of Australia’s intention to accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which will make Australia’s prisons and immigration detention centres subject to unannounced international inspections and ensure independent supervision of detention facilities by a national monitoring body...download submission to the Attorney-General's ....
5 June 2008: UNHCR made a submission to the Senate Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee's inquiry into the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing) Bill 2007 in July 2007. UNHCR now welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Citizenship Test Review Committee...download ....
altCANBERRA: 11 October 2012: UNHCR's formal advice to the Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship relating to the Minister's designation of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea as a 'regional processing country' under the Migration Act 1958 was tabled in Parliament yesterday, and is available here.
