Associate Professor Daniel Ghezelbash co-authored a policy brief for the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, which sets out recommendations for reforming the way Australia deals with asylum claims at its airports.
The policy brief argues that the approach to assessing claims for refugee protection at Australian airports needs to be reformed to ensure that those in need of protection are identified and not returned to harm. The current procedures, called ‘entry screening’, set out a streamlined process for assessing refugee claims with no access to review. This Policy Brief argues that they prioritise visa cancellations, mandatory detention and removal over protection needs.
This Policy Brief finds that Australia’s entry screening process and treatment of travellers who seek protection at Australian airports raise significant questions regarding fairness, transparency, efficiency and compatibility with the international and domestic legal frameworks of humanitarian protection.
It sets out practical policy reforms that would ensure that protection needs are properly identified and that Australia conforms with its obligations under international law.
The policy brief can be accessed here.
The accompanying video on Australia's airport asylum process can be viewed here.
The key findings were featured on ABC's Law Report, and summarised in a piece for the Conversation. The article is called "With our borders shut, this is the ideal time to overhaul our asylum seeker policies". Read the article here.