MIA News Issue 253 contained an article about UNICEF Australia’s opposition to the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014.
Along with other human rights organisations, UNICEF said the Bill attempted to remove Australia’s international obligations, reduce powers of the Australian courts and give extensive discretionary control to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Scott Morrison.
Click here to read the full UNICEF media release, but the fundamental objection is “The Bill put forward by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison seeks to classify children born in Australia as ‘unauthorised maritime arrivals’ if one of their parents is labelled such, leaving those children subject to mandatory detention and transfer to Nauru,”. In other words, the legislation is in breach of international law.
I am truly dismayed that we continue to pick on children!
Creative commons acknowledgement for the photograph.
