Submission title

Andrew Giles MP Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Dear Ministers Re: Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023 On behalf of the members of the Refugee Council of Australia, I am writing to express concern about the rapid introduction of the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023. [...] Lack of oversight and review of bridging visa conditions The Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023 introduces a number of new visa conditions that can be imposed on people being released into the community on Bridging Visa R. [...] Under the current draft of the legislation, the decision to impose such visa conditions rests with an officer of the Department and is not subject to review. [...] We recommend that the Bill be modified to ensure that any visa conditions imposed are subject to regular independent review by a court or another independent body, to ensure that they are necessary, appropriate, proportionate and the least restrictive means to achieve the purpose. [...] We recommend that the Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Bill 2023 be referred to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Human Rights, in order to ensure appropriate community consultation and consideration of the human rights implications of this Bill.