Migration and Refugee Law: Principles and Practice in Australia

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Table of Cases......Page 15
Table of Statutes......Page 20
Preface......Page 21
Acknowledgments......Page 23
1.1 Introduction......Page 25
1.2.1 The period before 1778......Page 26
1.2.2 Early white settlement – the first wave......Page 27
1.2.4 The gold rushes and the second wave......Page 28
1.2.5 Self-government and the ‘White Australia’ policy......Page 30
1.2.6 After the gold rushes......Page 31
1.2.7 The Federation debates......Page 32
1.2.8 Federation and ‘White Australia’ legislation......Page 33
1.2.9 EmpireI-building – the post-World War I wave......Page 34
1.2.10 Post-World War II......Page 35
1.2.11 Dismantling the 'White Australia' policy......Page 36
1.3 The modern immigration debate......Page 37
2.1 Constitutional foundations......Page 40
2.3 The advent of current migration legislation......Page 44
2.4 The amended  Migration Act  and new Migration Regulations......Page 45
3.1 The legislative framework and relationship between the Act and Regulations......Page 47
3.1.3 Circumstances and conditions of visa grants......Page 48
3.2 The structure of the Migration Regulations......Page 49
3.3 Visa class/visa subclass......Page 51
3.5 Ministerial policy and departmental policies and procedures......Page 52
3.6 How to locate visa criteria......Page 53
4.1 Validity of visa applications......Page 55
4.2 Procedures for dealing with visa applications......Page 61
4.3 Restrictions on visa applications......Page 62
4.4 Family members......Page 67
4.5.1 Family sponsors and assurors......Page 68
4.6 Special classes of person......Page 69
4.7 Third-party sources of decision-making power......Page 70
4.8 The DIMIA decision-making process......Page 71
4.9 Evidencing the visa......Page 74
5.1 Overview......Page 75
5.2.1 Sponsorship......Page 76
5.3 Spouse and Interdependency visas......Page 78
5.4.1 Children......Page 89
5.4.1.2 Adoption (subclasses 102 and 802)......Page 90
5.4.1.3 Orphan relative (subclasses 117 and 837)......Page 93
5.4.2 Parents......Page 94
5.4.4 Remaining relatives (subclasses 115 and 835)......Page 97
5.4.5 Carer (subclasses 116 and 836)......Page 101
5.4.6 Temporary visas for family members of Australian citizens or permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens......Page 105
6.1 Overview......Page 108
6.2 Business visa classes and subclasses......Page 109
6.3 Sponsorship......Page 110
6.5 Onshore applications......Page 111
6.7 Common criteria and definitions......Page 112
6.7.3 English language skills......Page 113
6.7.5 Overall successful business career......Page 114
6.7.6 Ownership interest in a qualifying business......Page 115
6.7.7 Main business......Page 118
6.7.8 Turnover......Page 120
6.7.9 Genuine and realistic commitment......Page 121
6.8.1 Investment visas (subclasses 162 and 165)......Page 122
6.8.2 Established business (residence) visas (subclasses 845 and 846)......Page 123
6.8.3 Business owner (provisional) subclass 163......Page 124
6.8.4 Business skills (provisional) subclasses 161 (senior executive (provisional)) and 164 (state/territory sponsored senior executive (provisional))......Page 125
6.9 Public interest – health and character requirements......Page 126
7.2 Visas based on qualifications and/or occupational skills......Page 127
7.2.1 Offshore......Page 130
7.2.2 Onshore......Page 132
7.3 Temporary visas......Page 134
7.4 Visas based on employer nominations......Page 136
7.4.1 The Employer nomination scheme (ENS)......Page 137
7.4.2 The regional sponsored migration scheme (RSMS)......Page 138
7.5 Labour agreements......Page 139
7.6 Distinguished talent......Page 141
8.2.1 Working Holiday (Temporary) (class TZ)......Page 144
8.2.2 Electronic Travel Authority (class  UD)......Page 145
8.2.3 Temporary Business Entry (class  UC)......Page 146
8.2.4 Short Stay Sponsored (Visitor) (Class UL)......Page 149
8.2.6 Domestic Worker (Temporary) (class TG)......Page 150
8.3 Cultural/Social (Temporary) (class TE)......Page 151
8.4 Educational (Temporary) (class TH)......Page 156
8.5.1 Student (Temporary) (class  TU)......Page 158
8.6 Other temporary visas......Page 160
8.6.1 Retirement (Temporary) (class TQ)......Page 161
9.1 Citizenship......Page 163
9.2 Absorbed person visa......Page 164
9.3 Visitors......Page 165
9.4 Bridging visas......Page 166
9.5 Resident return......Page 170
9.6.1 Special eligibility......Page 172
9.6.2 Confirmatory (Residence) visa 808......Page 174
9.7 Emergency visas......Page 175
9.8 Other special visa categories......Page 176
10.1 Overview......Page 178
10.2 Health......Page 179
10.3 Character......Page 181
10.5 Visa conditions......Page 182
11.1 Unlawful non-citizens: an overview......Page 186
11.2.2 Entry without authority......Page 187
11.2.3 Cancellation of visas......Page 188
11.2.3.2 General cancellation power......Page 189
11.2.3.3 Cancellation of business visa......Page 190
11.2.3.5 Cancellation on the basis of bad character......Page 191
11.3 Options for unlawful non-citizens......Page 192
11.4 Consequences of being unlawful: removal and deportation......Page 194
11.5 Offences that can be committed by unlawful non-citizens......Page 195
12.1 History of the Convention......Page 196
12.3 Protection not a key element: it is external not internal......Page 200
13.1 Overview......Page 202
13.2 Onshore applications......Page 203
13.3 Offshore applications......Page 207
13.4.3 Public interest......Page 212
13.4.4 National interest......Page 213
14.1 Overview of Grounds......Page 214
14.2 Race......Page 216
14.3 Nationality......Page 218
14.4 Religion......Page 220
14.5 Political opinion......Page 223
14.5.1 Political opinion generally interpreted broadly......Page 224
14.5.2 Political opinion must be known or imputed by the persecutor......Page 225
14.5.4 What if the applicant can avoid coming to notice of authorities?......Page 227
14.5.5 Forms of political opinion......Page 229
14.6.1 Formal test......Page 230
14.6.2.1 Infinite number of personal traits......Page 233
14.6.2.3 Persecution and group selection......Page 234
14.6.2.5 In principle guidance can be sought from the humanitarian underpinning of the Convention......Page 235
14.6.2.6 A humanitarian approach supports an expansive definition of ‘particular social group’......Page 236
14.6.2.9 Nonchalance and dispassion do not lead to differentiation......Page 237
14.6.3 How to spot a particular social group, applying the existing law – a summary......Page 239
14.6.4 Examples of particular social group claims......Page 240
14.6.5 Statutory change to family as a particular social group......Page 241
15.1 Overview of persecution......Page 244
15.3.1 Overview of legislation......Page 245
15.3.2 Case law prior to statutory changes......Page 246
15.3.3.1 Ample scope of divergent judicial interpretations of serious harm......Page 249
15.3.3.3 Refugee realities –no appetite for uninvited arrivals......Page 252
15.3.3.4 The flourishing versus subsistence dichotomy......Page 253
15.4.2.1 Discrimination......Page 254
15.4.2.2 Element of motivation......Page 255
15.4.2.3 Systematic conduct......Page 256
15.4.2.4 Causation......Page 257
15.4.3.1 States have unlimited power to prosecute citizens......Page 258
15.4.3.2 Overlaps and tension: prosecution and persecution......Page 260
15.4.3.3 What is a law of general application?......Page 261
15.4.3.4 General laws not persecutory......Page 262
15.4.3.5 Selective enforcement of a law of general application......Page 263
15.4.3.6 The legitimate objective and appropriate and adapted test......Page 264
15.4.4 Unsatisfactory state of existing law regarding nexus elements......Page 266
15.4.5.1 The nature of discrimination......Page 267
15.4.5.3 The notion of a relevant difference......Page 270
15.4.5.4 The legitimate objective and appropriate and adapted test as a synonym for relevant difference......Page 271
15.4.6 A new test or unification of previous principles?......Page 274
15.4.8 Nonstate agents: failure of state protection......Page 275
15.4.9 Personal responsibility to avoid persecution......Page 277
16.2 The subjective element......Page 278
16.3 The objective element......Page 279
16.4 Fear must be objective and subjective......Page 280
16.5 The relevant time at which risk is assessed and relevance of past events and sur place claims......Page 281
16.6 Relocation......Page 284
17.1 Overview of exclusion, cessation and exceptions......Page 287
17.2 Cessation: article 1C......Page 288
17.2.1 Articles 1C(1)–(4) voluntary actions by refugee......Page 289
17.2.2.1 Change must be material/substantial and not transient......Page 290
17.2.2.2 ‘Circumstance’ not to be interpreted narrowly......Page 291
17.3 Article 1D......Page 294
17.4 Article 1E......Page 295
17.5.1 Overview of article 1F......Page 296
17.5.2.1 Crimes against peace......Page 297
17.5.2.2 War crimes......Page 298
17.5.2.3 Crimes against humanity......Page 302
17.5.3 Article 1F(b) - serious non-political crimes......Page 303
17.5.3.1 When is a crime serious?......Page 304
17.5.3.2 Meaning of (serious) non-political crime......Page 306
17.5.4 Article 1F(c): acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations......Page 309
17.5.5 Evidential issues and the scope of individual liability......Page 311
17.5.6 Analysis of Article 1F......Page 313
17.5.7 Expulsion: articles 32 and 33......Page 314
17.6 Country of reference and effective protection in another country......Page 317
17.7 Third country (or effective) protection......Page 318
17.7.1 Common law......Page 319
17.7.2 Statute......Page 321
18.1 Overview: time to stop paying homage to the Convention and to fix it......Page 324
18.1.1 Refugee law – not humanitarian law – is the appropriate vehicle for change......Page 325
18.1.2 The implications of finite international compassion -- proper targeting of refugees critical......Page 326
18.1.3 History of Convention inevitably resulted in flawed definition......Page 328
18.2 The problem with the Convention Grounds......Page 329
18.3.1.1 Overview of moral theory......Page 330
18.3.2.1 The influence of rights-based theories......Page 331
18.3.2.2 The absence of a foundation of rights......Page 333
18.3.2.3 Explanation for the appeal of rights-based theories......Page 334
18.3.3 Consequentialist underpinning to new definition -- the preferred approach......Page 335
18.3.3.1 Interlude – criticisms of utilitarianism......Page 336
18.3.3.3 Utilitarian rights......Page 337
18.3.4.2 Hierarchy of human interests – life and liberty as fundamental......Page 339
18.3.4.3 Where to draw the line?......Page 340
18.4.2 The concept of persecution is made (effectively) redundant......Page 341
18.5.1 Practical obstacles to reform......Page 342
18.5.2 The proposed definition is not a complete solution......Page 343
19.2 Decisions reviewable by the MRT, RRT and AAT......Page 345
19.3 Judicial review......Page 346
19.5 Background to enactment of privative clause......Page 347
19.6 Privative clause......Page 351
19.7 Ministerial intervention......Page 352
19.8 Commentary on current state of judicial review of migration and refugee decisions......Page 353
Index......Page 355