Greens urge Labor to back move to challenge re-introduced Temporary Protection Visas

Updated

The Greens are urging Labor to back their challenge over the recently re-introduced Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs).

The Government has started issuing the visas, which grant refugees protection for up to three years but prevents them from applying for permanent protection, to asylum seekers who are found to be in need of Australia's protection.

The visas allow people to work and access Medicare, however they are denied the opportunity for family reunification.

Reintroducing TPVs, which were abolished by the Labor government in 2008, was a key Coalition election promise.

One 18-year-old asylum seeker who arrived alone says his life is on hold now that he has no hope of reunifying with his family here.

"That would be very hard, like once I heard of Temporary [Protection] Visa, that it would be last for three years," he said.

"I don't know what would happen after three years.

"They might would send me back but the situation from where I came, the situation is not like how I can go back.

"I don't know, it's something like it's a hold on my life and I don't know what would happen after three years."

'Do the right thing', Greens tell Labor

The Greens are vehemently opposed to the TPV and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young will try to overturn the visas in the Senate this Monday afternoon by bringing on a disallowance motion for debate.

But Labor's support will be vital if the motion is to succeed.

"Look, this is a test for the Labor party. They went to the election saying they did not support Temporary Protection Visas," Senator Hanson-Young said.

"Back in 2008, they removed John Howard's Temporary Protection Visas.

"They did the right thing then and this is an opportunity to do the right thing again."

It is still unclear how Labor will vote.

If Labor and the Greens do team up in the Senate to abolish the TPVs, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says there are other forms available.

"My message for the Labor party is, if they want to completely ignore the last election as they have on other issues like the carbon tax, and deny that the coalition has steadfastly held to the position of Temporary Protection Visas being the central plank of our border protection policy, and they want to team up with the Greens to deny that, well that's a matter for the Labor party and they'll have to explain that," he said.

In a statement, shadow immigration minister Richard Marles says that Labor's stance on TPVs is long-standing and well known.

But he also says the legislation put forward by the Government is yet to be considered by the Caucus.

Topics: immigration, federal-government, human-trafficking, rights, australia

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