Actions taken:
| The Department of Home Affairs continues to facilitate ongoing access for Australian Red Cross to all Immigration Detention facilities, and increased access to Alternative Places of Detention (APODs) across Australia.
Conversations are underway on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) which facilitates this work. In the midpoint report, it was agreed that current arrangements are suitable to both parties, and was agreed that the review of the current MOU should be postponed. There has been continued constructive engagement with Home Affairs International Division and Australian Red Cross regarding the situation of asylum seekers and refugees transferred to Australia from Nauru and Manus and the US resettlement agreement. However, Australian Red Cross notes the ongoing challenges in resolving this grave humanitarian situation across multiple jurisdictions. Australian Red Cross provided evidence-based individual and systemic issues of concern reports at the facility level as well as quarterly reports at the national level with observations from its visits and considered recommendations to ameliorate issues of humanitarian concern. Home Affairs is up to date on their responses to these reports. Australian Red Cross continues to hold specific concerns around an increase in prolonged detention. Based on these reports, Home Affairs also continues to facilitate regular high-level meetings between Australian Red Cross and key departmental senior executives to discuss issues of concern and issues arising in our reports. Australian Red Cross was invited by Home Affairs to review a number of key Detention Standard Operating Procedures as well as a provide feedback on a number of operational initiatives, such as changes to visitors processes, prior to these being implemented or, where relevant, piloted. Australian Red Cross welcomes the openness of Home Affairs to exploring the issues regarding trafficking indicators and processes of detention, in particular. |
