Asylum seeker handouts scrapped: Australian taxpayers to save $25 million a Year

[nero_bolt]

Long over due and the only people that will be crying is the lawyers that were bleeding the system  and the bleeding heart lefties..

Why should our tax  money pay for illegals with no papers to rort the system 

Well done Scott Morrision

TAXPAYERS will save $25 million a year after the Abbott government today scraps free immigration assistance to ­asylum seekers.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison last night said Australia’s protection obligations did not extend to providing free immigration help to those who arrived in Australia ­illegally.

He said, as promised before the election, that from today, people who arrived illegally by boat or air would no longer be helped through the Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme.

But he said the withdrawal of the taxpayer help would not prevent people receiving legal assistance, saying those who wished to provide immigration advice and application assistance pro bono were free to do so.

The government continues to roll out its Operation ­Sovereign Borders suite of policies after notching at the weekend 100 days without a successful people smuggling venture making it to Australia. The government expects the withdrawal of the free assistance will save the budget $100 million over four years

If people choose to violate how Australia chooses to run our refugee and humanitarian program, they should not presume upon the support and assistance that is provided to those who seek to come the right way, and they should certainly not receive additional assistance, as they did under the previous government,’’ Mr Morrison said.

‘‘Services that have commenced will be ­completed, but the IAAAS will not continue for any additional part of the process that would incur an additional fee

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/asylum-seeker-handouts-scrapped-australian-taxpayers-to-save-25...

[just_me_karen]

and here's another example of our government's corruption and cruelty

The asylum seekers who had initiated legal action after their names and private details were published on the department of immigration's website are being transferred to a remote detention centre. Their mobile phones have been confiscated so their lawyers are unable to communicate with them...and this is happening right now, when the case was due to be heard on friday.

[lakeland27]

what are the pointy things all over cacti called . (i don't want an answer i want to describe morrison and his underlings )

[just_me_karen]

...and his supporters

[izabsmiling]

Daniel Webb says ignoring international laws, or acting contrary to the spirit of those laws, has the potential to damage Australia's international standing.

Mr Webb says its recent election to the UN Security Council was on the back of a promise to be a principled advocate for human rights for all.

He says Australia looks untrustworthy if its actions contradict its words in the UN.

"It's in Australia's interests to have an international system that respects basic human rights principles. We've gone to the UN and raised concerns about human rights violations in Sri Lanka, about human rights violations in Afghanistan, in Iraq. We have relied on this system of international law when it suits us. So it's in our interests not to simply erode it by our conduct when it's politically expedient in the short term to do that."

Immediate past president of the Australian Lawyers' Alliance, Tony Kerin, says an erosion of Australia's international standing also has economic costs.

"If you treat people, desperate people, with the indifference that we are currently, then we market ourselves as such, as indifferent to human tragedy and unreliable in terms of international obligations, and that will impact on our economy.

You know, good will is immeasurable, so if you damage that you are damaging our future and our future ability to have the support, cooperation of others in times of need. I have no doubt about that."

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/01/28/does-australian-asylum-policy-break-international-law

we look like the oppressors from which these persecuted people are running from...or worse as we claim to be better,we have peace and security .

[*crikey*mate*]

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@boris1gary wrote:

"every thing really is ok with the world" - not for asylum seekers, regardless of the simplistic responses to another cruel act of this government - eh

But international standards written by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) say the right to legal advice during the claims process is an “essential safeguard”.

“Asylum seekers are often unable to articulate the elements relevant to an asylum claim without the assistance of a qualified counsellor because they are not familiar with the precise grounds for the recognition of refugee status and the legal system of a foreign country,” the UNHCR says.

I understand that this is not good, but we have people in Australia who do not know basic legal stuff and cannot get access to adequate representation.What does the UNHCR say about the rights of the legal citizens of a country?

But Rachel Ball, director of advocacy and campaigns at the Human Rights Law Centre in Melbourne, told Guardian Australia the department had already refused an offer to provide asylum seekers with a list of free legal services.

“There is a limited number of services that can provide pro bono assistance and they can’t possibly meet the demand. This is not a case where providers are competing with each other for lucrative business; they’re providing the services for free,” she said.

“Access to justice is a fundamental human right – there’s been a longstanding commitment from successive governments to provide legal assistance to asylum seekers in recognition of this right and that legal assistance assures an effective refugee status determination process,” she said.

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Yes. Yes it is. So why isn't that right being extended to Australian citizens?

[gewens]

Hello, everyone. The conversation is getting off-topic. Could we please go back to the original topic regarding Australian asylum seekers ? You're welcome to start a new topic to discuss something new. Thanks very much. 🙂

[izabsmiling]

From the OP:Long over due and the only people that will be crying is the lawyers that were bleeding the system  and the bleeding heart lefties..

Why should our tax  money pay for illegals with no papers to rort the system 

Well done Scott Morrision

may God have mercy on your soul

[debra9275]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-01/afp-refuses-request-to-help-reza-berati-investigation/5358212

when I read this article this morning I thought it was pretty poor

[izabsmiling]

My 9yr old and her class have done assignments on this.

Those 9 year olds know the facts 

An asylum seeker is not a criminal not an illegal...it is not a crime to seek asylum in Australia.Asylum seekers may arrive by boat or plane...with or without papers  (and some have some  forms of paperwork/id..not necessarily passports which we may deem the right/necessary 'papers')

 Maybe those 9 year olds could educate some of their elders

[izabsmiling]

Q & A on Access to Legal Advice on
Nauru

Access to adequate legal advice is an internationally recognised human right and a fundamental
pillar of the rule of law. It is something that the Law Council considers should be available to
everyone, particularly those people who face criminal charges or other potential restrictions on their
liberty.

The Law Council is concerned that asylum seekers who have been transferred to Nauru by Australia
currently do not have access to adequate legal advice. This is a particular concern for those asylum
seekers who currently face criminal charges arising out of disturbances at the immigration detention
facilities in Nauru. If convicted of these offences, the prospects of these asylum seekers being able
to obtain protection in Australia or elsewhere may be very bleak, even if they are found to be
genuine refugees.

The Australian legal profession is acutely aware of the need for asylum seekers to be able to access
independent legal advice and a number of members of the profession have offered their services
without charge, but this alone will not meet the urgent legal needs of those in Nauru. The justice
system in Nauru needs considerably more support if it is to provide access to justice for its local and
newly arrived population. For these reasons it is important to provide some answers to key
questions arising in this area:

http://www.lawcouncil.asn.au/lawcouncil/images/LCA-PDF/a-z-docs/QA_on_Legal_advice_for_Asylum_Seeker...