Palmer sold a pup – shameful capitulation to cruel TPV deal

Refugee advocates have condemned the deal struck between Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and the Palmer United Party to introduce Temporary Protection Visas and safe haven enterprise visas.

Neither visa allows for permanent protection, nor for family reunion. Tens of thousands of people found to be refugees will be left as a permanent underclass, deprived of the possibility of residency, citizenship or the possibility of reuniting with their families.

“Clive Palmer has often sought to portray himself as a concerned family man, but it is difficult to imagine a worse fate to inflict on anyone, than to permanently separate them from their families,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition

“Scott Morrison is willing to leave thousands of families destitute and vulnerable, and Clive Palmer has gone along with it.

“We are urging the PUP senators to reconsider the consequences of the deal with Morrison and vote against temporary protection visas. The details of the Safe Haven Enterprise visa are not even going to known until 2015.”

The deal, which will allow those post-July 19, 2013 arrivals not sent to Nauru or Manus Island, to be processed for TPVs in Australia, has also highlighted the completely arbitrary and discriminatory basis of offshore processing.

“The over two thousand people already on Manus Island and Nauru will remain in limbo – deprived of processing and resettlement. The tensions on Manus and Nauru will inevitably increase,” said Rintoul.

The Refugee Action Coalition has called a protest at the Immigration Department offices for Friday, 26 September, 12.30pm to protest against temporary protection visas and the Cambodia deal.

For more information call Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713

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