Refugee Council says long wait times mean people can stay in the country for years during processing
The Refugee Council said “the combined backlogs at the [department] and the AAT have created a circumstance where it is possible for people to lodge asylum applications even when they may not have meritorious claims for protection, as they can stay in Australia for years while their application slowly passes through the system”.
The council also said delays created “significant stress and anxiety” for asylum seekers, with many denied work rights and “living in destitution and relying on the goodwill of under-resourced charities”.commitment to raise the humanitarian intake – currently set at 13,750 places a year, plus 4,125 for Afghan nationals – to 32,000, but said doing away with the cap entirely would be best to clear the backlog.
“Some people, who were ultimately found to be refugees and granted permanent visas, have waited over five years for their applications to be finalised. Therefore, the policy of setting a cap on onshore visa grants is also responsible for causing the processing delays detailed above,” the council said.
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