Australian government announces quicker immigration for refugees

Australia, 8th January: The Australian government has announced several changes to the Australian immigration process for asylum seekers.

This was revealed by the Australian immigration minister Chris Bowen.

Speaking about the changes, Mr. Bowen said that the new rules will be introduced to determine whether the asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat be allowed to stay in the nation or not.

The changes come after a High Court ruling raised doubts over the offshore processing. The High Court ruling had challenged the rights of asylum seekers following which the Australian government had announced appointment of two federal magistrates for expediting the immigration process for asylum seekers.

Two asylum seekers lodged in Christmas Island had been not extended procedural fairness.

Amendments in the rules of the refugee process will provide increased rights to the asylum-seekers. Formulated in the year 2001, the offshore process is currently applicable to migrants arriving by boat.

Mr. Bowen stated that the under the new system, irregular maritime arrivals meeting the criteria of protection will be allowed a protection Australian visa.

However, in case, the departmental official is unable to reach at any conclusion, then, the case will be immediately referred for final decision to some independent assessor and it will be called an Independent Protection Assessment.

John McMillan, a former ombudsman, has been appointed as the head for conducting a review to find ways for streamlining the asylum applications process. The review will also decide whether the refugees in Australia be entitled to legal aid for navigating the judicial system in Australia.

The hiring of two new Federal magistrates will cost around $1.6 million to the Australian government.

Chief executive of the Refugee Council of Australia, Paul Power said that the Australian government had been unsuccessful in establishing a single and a fair system.

He said that the government should have scrapped the policy and provided access to a fair process for all applicants seeking asylum.

The new rules of the Protection Obligations Determination process will become effective from 1st March 2011 onwards for around 1400 asylum seekers and will allow rejected refugee claimants to appeal.