Australia’s parliament has delayed until next month a vote on changes to a controversial immigration law that would allow a proposed refugee swap with Malaysia to go forward. Parliament began debate on changes to the law Thursday, before adjourning to October 11. Prime Minister Julia Gillard proposes to send 800 undocumented asylum seekers to be […]
Australia Delays Vote on Malaysia Refugee Swap
Posted September 22nd, 2011 at 2:05 pm (UTC-5)
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Australia Moves Toward Vote on Malaysia Refugee Swap
Posted September 22nd, 2011 at 3:25 am (UTC-5)
Australia’s parliament is moving toward a vote as early as Thursday on changes to immigration law that would allow a proposed refugee swap with Malaysia to go forward. Analysts give the bill little chance of passage in the face of opposition from the right-wing Liberal Party and the left-wing Greens, whose support keeps Prime Minister […]
Gillard Wins Support for New Immigration Bill
Posted September 12th, 2011 at 3:50 am (UTC-5)
Australia’s governing Labor party agreed Monday to propose legislation that would enable the government to go ahead with a planned refugee swap with Malaysia. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the legislation, approved in a closed meeting of the party’s legislators, would amend the nation’s immigration law in response to a High Court ruling last month […]
Gillard Wins Support for New Immigration Bill
Posted September 12th, 2011 at 12:05 am (UTC-5)
Australia’s governing Labor party agreed Monday to propose legislation that would enable the government to go ahead with a planned refugee swap with Malaysia. The legislation, approved in a closed meeting of the party’s legislators, would amend the nation’s immigration law in response to a High Court ruling last month that found the scheme illegal. […]
Australian High Court Scuttles Refugee Swap Deal with Malaysia
Posted August 31st, 2011 at 4:10 am (UTC-5)
Australia’s High Court has blocked the government’s plan to transfer hundreds of asylum seekers to Malaysia. In a 6-1 majority decision announced Wednesday, the court agreed with a pair of asylum seekers who argued the deal is illegal because Kuala Lumpur has not signed international treaties on the treatment of refugees, and that is not […]
Australian High Court Scuttles Refugee Swap Deal with Malaysia
Posted August 31st, 2011 at 2:15 am (UTC-5)
Australia’s High Court has blocked the government’s plan to transfer hundreds of asylum seekers to Malaysia. In a 5-2 decision announced Wednesday, the court agreed with a pair of asylum seekers who argued the deal is illegal because Kuala Lumpur has not signed international treaties on the treatment of refugees, and that is not legally […]
Federal Judge Blocks Alabama Immigration Law
Posted August 30th, 2011 at 12:45 am (UTC-5)
A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked a controversial immigration law that was set to go into effect Thursday in the state of Alabama. U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace said Monday she decided to block the law until September 29 so she could further consider lawsuits filed against it. Last month, a coalition of civil […]
Opposition, Rights Activists Oppose Malaysia Refugee Deal
Posted August 22nd, 2011 at 1:49 am (UTC-5)
Australia’s opposition Greens party and a human rights group are criticizing the government’s decision to reopen a detention center for asylum seekers on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s government signed a memorandum of understanding with PNG Friday to open the Manus Island center for the processing of illegal immigrants seeking […]
Obama Administration Revamps Deportation Policy
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 6:00 am (UTC-5)
The Obama administration says it will review the cases of more than 300,000 illegal immigrants facing deportation to determine if they can stay in the United States. In a letter to a group of lawmakers, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says officials will review each case to identify “low priority” offenders, including those who have […]
Arizona Appeals Immigration Law to US Supreme Court
Posted August 11th, 2011 at 3:30 am (UTC-5)
The governor of of Arizona has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that blocked key provisions of the state’s immigration enforcement law. Governor Jan Brewer appealed to the nation’s highest court Wednesday after a lower court barred certain provisions of the law she signed last year. Those include requiring police to check […]
