‘Bad piece of law-making’: refugee advocates call for urgent reform as dozens face re-detention
Dozens face re-detention after the Australian Government passed a bill a couple of weeks ago, with refugee advocates and lawyers saying the legislation has had a disastrous effect on those who have just begun re-entering the community.
Around 160 people were released from detention over Christmas due to a full federal court case ruling that aggregate sentences – where a person is given a single sentence for multiple offences – do not count for the purposes of the Migration Act’s automatic visa-cancellation provisions.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has said the judgement created an inconsistency in Australia’s visa cancellation regime, and that the recent bill amends the Migration Act to validate decisions before the recent court ruling.