17 September 2026
Today’s National Press Club address by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke leaves critical questions about the future of Australia’s refugee protection policies, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) says.
“We welcome the Minister’s assurances that having a protection system for asylum in Australia is critically important and that he wants to ensure that any changes did not create problems for people with protection claims, but we note that the Government is yet to resolve plans to legislate changes to the onshore protection process,” RCOA Co-CEO Adama Kamara said.
“Over the past few weeks, we have heard about proposals related to removing work rights, access to independent review and time limits on when someone can seek protection. We do not have clarity about these proposals but know that, if they go ahead, they will hurt the very people that the Minister said he wishes to protect.”
RCOA is also concerned about the government increasing the use of immigration detention to facilitate removals, especially when it comes on the back of widely reported concerns about safety in immigration detention.
Recent reports from the Ombudsman and the Australian Human Rights Commission indicate disturbing accounts of hazardous disrepair, safety issues, ineffective security and insufficient staffing and healthcare access. The use of ‘alternative detention facilities’ will not resolve the longstanding problems with Australia’s detention system.
“We support the changes to how the government responds to spurious actions by some migration agents who exploit people navigating Australia’s complex migration system. Enforceable action for people acting against their own code of conduct has been needed for many years and has impacted the operation of lawful providers who act honestly,” Ms Kamara said.
“We also welcome the recent confirmation of the 20,000 places for the annual refugee intake. We are committed to advocating to members of the Government to ensure that policy changes don’t disadvantage people with serious protection claims or leave people destitute when undergoing valid assessment processes.
“Measures to manage migration numbers must not come at the expense of our obligation to provide protection to those who need it.
“The Government has an opportunity to develop a migration system that is fair, efficient and has integrity. Putting Australia’s responsibility to protect refugees at the centre of decision-making is an important step towards achieving this shared objective.
