$2.5 billion to power individuals to Nauru and denial of pure justice in new Labor legislation

The Home Affairs (2025 Measures No. 1) Bill 2025 was rammed by means of at the moment by the Liberals and Labor, following revelations that the key settlement with Nauru signed by the Albanese Government will price $2.5 billion. 

In a rushed listening to final evening, it was made clear that this Bill would impression tens of 1000’s of individuals, denying them pure justice, and the key Nauru Memorandum of Understanding signed final week will price billions. 

The Department of Home Affairs couldn’t even verify if the Nauru MOU made reference to the Refugee Convention. This is regardless of the Nauru President David Adeang saying that Nauru’s long-term purpose is to take away individuals again to the nation they fled, in clear breach of the Convention. 

Under this legislation, the Minister can direct a lady who’s escaping home violence to get a passport. When she rightfully is fearful that doing this might require her to satisfy her abuser, this legislation prevents her from even informing the federal government of this truth. Instead, she both places herself in peril by obeying the Minister or goes to jail for making an attempt to guard herself.

This legislation additionally permits the Government to forcibly take away individuals to Nauru (and another third nation with which there’s an settlement) with no pure justice issues. 

Labor refused to permit submissions from the general public on the listening to into the Bill final evening. However, the Greens tabled a sequence of submissions from the general public to make sure they’re on the file, which will be accessed here. 

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Spokesperson for Immigration, mentioned: “There are no depths Labor won’t explore to outflank the Coalition on the right on immigration. 

“The cornerstone of our entire legal system, natural justice, has just been smashed by the Albanese Government.

“Mandatory detention, offshore detention, preventing people who sought asylum by sea from resettling, a Trump-style travel ban and now laws that can deny natural justice, this is Labor’s legacy. It’s a legacy that deliberately undermines multiculturalism and fairness. 

“When Labor makes laws that say some people who were not born here are denied basic legal rights, that feeds the far-right extremism we saw at anti-immigration rallies over the last weekend. 

“Australia should be treating our neighbours with respect, not bribing them to become a 21st-century penal colony. 
“The Pacific can see how Australia bullies and bribes its neighbours. 

“Failing to treat our neighbours as friends and equals comes at a cost, and is a long-term threat to Australia’s political and moral leadership in the Pacific.”