Refugee advocates say that the government’s plans to deport foreign criminals risks refugees lives as they are sent to countries where they face persecution or serious harm.
The government re-introduced legislation to deport or block entry to non-citizens who have committed crimes with sentences of at least two years. Under these rules, a visa holder has to be jailed for 12 months before the cancellation of their visa.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said the effect of the bill would see a greater number of people in indefinite detention and these measures designed to mitigate risks were inadequate.