Speeches, events and media about immigration detention, asylum seekers and refugees
Speeches and events
- Statement to Senate Estimates, 24 February 2015, Professor Gillian Triggs, President (24 February 2015)
- The Forgotten Children: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014, Professor Gillian Triggs (12 February 2015)
- Speech delivered to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship by Commission President, Professor Gillian Triggs, (25 June 2013)
- Australian Government’s third country processing regime: what are the human rights implications? Speech delivered to the Refugee Advice and Casework Service by Commission President, Professor Gillian Triggs) (6 June 2013)
- Current issues Australia faces in relation to its treatment of refugees, speech delivered to the United Nations Association of Australia (WA Division) by Commission President, Professor Gillian Triggs (24 October 2012)
- Asylum Seekers, Marriage Equality and Racial Vilification: What role for the AHRC? Speech delivered to Anglo-Australasian Lawyers Society by Commission President, Professor Gillian Triggs (17 October 2012)
- Applying Human Rights in Closed Environments: Practical Observations on Monitoring and Oversight, Speech delivered at ‘Implementing Human Rights in Closed Environments’ Conference by Commission President, Catherine Branson QC (21 February 2012)
- Keynote address to the Victoria Legal Aid Civil Justice Law and Practice Conference, speech by Commission President, Catherine Branson QC (25 November 2011)
- Opening statement by Commission President, Catherine Branson QC to the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Immigration Detention Network (5 October 2011)
- Human rights, refugees and asylum seekers, speech by Commission President, Catherine Branson QC (July 2011)
- The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Annual Oration by Commission President, Catherine Branson QC (June 2011)
- Mandatory immigration detention of children in Australia: how far have we come and where to from here? Brad Selway Memorial Lecture by Commission President, Catherine Branson QC (November 2010)
- Seminar on implementing the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture in Australia (November 2009)
- Complementary protection seminar: meeting Australia's obligations to people fleeing danger (November 2008)
Media
2015
- News - Refugee Week – a message from Gillian Triggs (15 June 2015)
- Opinion piece - The Government, the High Court and the Migration Act (10 April 2015)
- News - Protecting children is Commission's aim, not political points (16 February 2015)
- News - ‘Locking up children taints us all’, says Commission President (12 February 2015)
- News - Human rights apply to everyone (15 January 2015)
- Opinion piece - Committing a crime does not mean forfeiting all human rights for the future (14 January 2015)
2014
- News - Commission urges detained children be released into the community (5 December 2014)
- Opinion piece - Magna Carta shelters asylum-seekers (10 October 2014)
- Opinion piece - Keeping asylum seeker children in detention doesn't stop people smugglers - so why do it? (8 October 2014)
- News - Media Statement - Children in Immigration Detention (19 August 2014)
- Opinion piece - Detention shame: children, mothers self-harming (24 July 2014)
- News - New Mothers on Suicide Watch at Christmas Island (24 July 2014)
- News - Australia’s obligation to people seeking asylum who are intercepted at sea (4 July 2014)
- News - Commission again raises serious concerns about Migration Act Amendment (16 May 2014)
- News - Inquiry team visits distressed children on Christmas Island (24 March 2014)
- News - Asylum seekers and refugees high on agenda when Australian and Indonesian Commissions met (18 March 2014)
- News - Have you spent time as a child in an immigration detention facility? Or know anyone who has? (12 March 2014)
- News - Human rights chief addresses Manus violence (6 March 2014)
- Opinion piece - We can't 'outsource' our moral obligations to these people (22 February 2014)
- News - Time to rethink offshore processing of asylum seekers (20 February 2014)
- News - Inquiry announced: Time to reassess children held in immigration detention (3 February 2014)
- News - Asylum seekers on Nauru must be protected (21 January 2014)
2013
- News - TPVs part of an inhumane system (3 December 2013)
- News - Asylum seeker policies raise human rights issues: report (22 October 2013)
- Opinion piece - Australia, Human Rights, Refugees and Asylum Seekers, by Professor Gillian Triggs, President (August 2013)
- News - Regional Resettlement Arrangement raises human rights questions (25 July 2013)
- News - Improvements for asylum seekers (4 July 2013)
- News - Removal of children from Manus Island a welcome step (21 June 213)
- News - Regional processing report supports Commission stance (20 June 2013)
- News - Refugees need hope, not uncertainty (17 June 2013)
- News - Commission recommendations about wrist x-rays embraced (May 2013)
- News - 'Excision Bill' passage undermines human rights (May 2013)
- Media Release - Curtin detention centre no place for children (May 2013)
- News - Right to merits review for refugees (May 2013)
- Media Release - Screening Sri Lankans out of refugee determination system is the wrong approach (April 2013)
- Opinion Piece - Time for a rethink on asylum seeker treatment (April 2013)
- News - Complaints from asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island (March 2013)
2012
- News - The Immigration detention facilities on Christmas Island are not appropriate for asylum seekers (13 December 2012)
- Media Release - Sri Lankan refugees v Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Immigration & Citizenship) (6 December 2012)
- Media Release - Commission raises strong concerns over developments in Australia’s response to asylum seekers (21 November 2012)
- Media Release - Migration Act amendments undermine Australia’s international law obligations (1 November 2012)
- News - Commission welcomes announcement of independent review of adverse security assessments (18 October 2012)
- Media Release - Commission welcomes ASIO High Court ruling but urges immediate Government action (8 October 2012)
- Media Release - Offshore processing arrangements carry serious human rights concerns (14 September 2012)
- Media Release - Migration Act stripped of human rights protections (17 August 2012)
- Media Release - Government fails on children’s rights (27 July 2012)
- Media Release - Community arrangements offer more humane approach to treatment of asylum seekers and refugees (26 July 2012)
- Media Release - Commission welcomes moves towards better protections against torture (21 June 2012)
- Media Release - Brown v Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) (19 June 2012)
- Media Release - Commission welcomes recommendations for further reform of Australia’s immigration detention system (3 April 2012)
- Media Release - Commission welcomes steps towards better monitoring of places of detention (29 February 2012)
2011
- Media Release - Commission finds Immigration Department breaches fundamental human rights (1 December 2011)
- Media Release - Bridging visas are a more humane way to treat people seeking protection (25 November 2011)
- Media Release - Commission announces inquiry into the treatment of suspected people smugglers who say that they are children (21 November 2011)
- Media Release - President reports into arbitrary detention, the standard of treatment in detention and rights of the child in detention (3 November 2011)
- Media Release - Processing asylum seekers on the mainland is welcomed (14 October 2011)
- Media Release - Mental health impacts of indefinite detention a major concern at Curtin detention centre (29 September 2011)
- Media Release - Immigration detention system in need of reform (14 September 2011)
- Media Release – Government should not revive Malaysian agreement (12 September 2011)
- Media Release – High Court reinforces responsibility to protect the rights of children (31 August 2011)
- Media Release – Commission warns against revisiting aspects of ‘Pacific Solution’ (22 August 2011)
- Media Release - President reports on Mr Toro-Martinez v Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) (16 August 2011)
- Media Release - President reports on Mr Al Jenabi v Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) (16 August 2011)
- Media Release – Sending asylum seekers to Malaysia is not the answer to addressing people smuggling (25 July 2011)
- Media Release - Australia’s immigration detention system continues to breach international human rights obligations (21 July 2011)
- Media Release - Commission welcomes expansion of community detention (29 June 2011)
- Media Release - Australia must continue to provide safe haven for those seeking hope and a future (20 June 2011)
- Media Release - President reports on Mr NK v Commonwealth (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) (31 May 2011)
- Media Release - Self-harm and suicides in immigration detention are major concerns (26 May 2011)
- Media Release – Commission raises concerns about sending asylum seekers to Malaysia (9 May 2011)
- Media Release - Time to rethink our mandatory detention system (17 March 2011)
- Media Release - Commission welcomes moves to improve complementary protection as a good first step (24 February 2011)
- Media Release - Hot, dusty, remote location should not be used to detain children (15 February 2011)
Click here to read older media releases.