The policy priorities we highlighted during the previous election
Australia is a diverse nation and should develop an independent foreign policy, with a focus on making diplomatic representations to other countries in support of equality, democracy, mateship and peace.
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
The Australian Progressives support:
- Establishing a Royal Commission into the Mandatory Detention and Offshore Processing of Asylum Seekers since 1992.
- A system of community sponsorship to help refugees settle in Australia.
- Increasing the Australian Humanitarian Intake to 30,000 per year, or 15% of our total annual migration rate, whichever is higher.
- Closing all remaining Australian Offshore Processing Centres on Manus Island, and in Nauru. All current detainees to be brought to Australia, and processed onshore.
- Consulting with regional partners to establish point-of-safe-harbour in South East Asia to prevent the resumption of dangerous maritime crossing.
- Policies seeking to establish Australian-run refugee settlements in consultation with nations bordering conflict zones to improve safety closer to home.
- Policies to seek out a regional asylum seeker agreement.
- The restoration of a humanitarian ethos to processing procedures and reduce processing time.
- Policies to increase opportunities for refugees to access skilled migration program.
- Policies to provide financial or in-kind assistance to domestic community organisations to improve refugee resettlement outcomes.
- Developing and implementing a Resettlement Assistance Program including language support, training, and cultural education for newly settled refugees.
- Policies to provide a long term Safe Harbour Visa for refugees who may be able to return home. Safe Harbour Visas will permit employment and provide assistance for visa holders to learn skills appropriate for rebuilding their homes when safe to do so.
- Moves to develop foreign policy to increase Australian contributions to actions which provide safe harbour closer to refugee origins.