2013-2014 

 

The Parliament of the 

Commonwealth of Australia 

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Migration Amendment (Ending the 

Nation's Shame) Bill 2014 

 

No.      , 2014 

 

(Mr Wilkie) 

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958 

to provide greater fairness and certainty for asylum 

seekers, and for other purposes 

   

   

 

 

No.      , 2014 

Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) Bill 2014 

i 

 

Contents 

1 

Short title ........................................................................................... 1

 

2 

Commencement ................................................................................. 1

 

3 

Schedule(s) ........................................................................................ 2

 

Schedule 1--Amendments

 

3

 

Migration Act 1958

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

No.      , 2014 

Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) Bill 2014 

1 

 

A Bill for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958 

1 

to provide for greater fairness and certainty for 

2 

asylum seekers, and for other purposes 

3 

The Parliament of Australia enacts: 

4 

1  Short title 

5 

 

  This Act may be cited as the Migration Amendment (Ending the 

6 

Nation's Shame) Act 2014. 

7 

2  Commencement 

8 

 

  This Act commences on the day after this Act receives the Royal 

9 

Assent. 

10 

   

   

 

 

2 

Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) Bill 2014 

No.      , 2014 

 

3  Schedule(s) 

1 

 

  Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or 

2 

repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule 

3 

concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect 

4 

according to its terms. 

5 

Amendments  Schedule 1 

   

 

 

No.      , 2014 

Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) Bill 2014 

3 

 

Schedule 1

--Amendments 

1 

   

2 

Migration Act 1958 

3 

1  Subsection 4(5) 

4 

Repeal the subsection. 

5 

2  Subsection 5(1) 

6 

Insert: 

7 

 

  Australian citizen has the same meaning as in the Australian 

8 

Citizenship Act 2007. 

9 

3  Subsection 5(1) (note 1 at the end of the definition of 

10 

immigration detention) 

11 

Repeal the note. 

12 

4  Subsection 5(1) (note 2 at the end of the definition of 

13 

immigration detention) 

14 

Omit "Note 2", substitute "Note". 

15 

5  Subsection 5(1) (definition of regional processing country) 

16 

Repeal the definition. 

17 

6  Subsection 5(1) (paragraph (aa) of the definition of 

18 

transitory person) 

19 

Repeal the paragraph. 

20 

7  Subsection 5(1) (definition of unauthorised maritime 

21 

arrival) 

22 

Repeal the definition. 

23 

8  Section 5AA 

24 

Repeal the section. 

25 

9  Paragraph 5A(3)(j) 

26 

Repeal the paragraph. 

27 

Schedule 1  Amendments 

   

 

 

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Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) Bill 2014 

No.      , 2014 

 

10  Subsection 36(1) 

1 

After "class of", insert "permanent". 

2 

11  After section 41 

3 

Insert: 

4 

41A  Conditions not to limit certain access 

5 

 

(1)  Despite section 41, a protection visa or bridging visa must not be 

6 

subject to any of the following conditions: 

7 

 

(a)  a condition restricting the work that may be done in Australia 

8 

by the holder; 

9 

 

(b)  a condition restricting the holder's access to a medicare 

10 

benefit payable under Part II of the Health Insurance Act 

11 

1973; 

12 

 

(c)  a condition restricting the holder's access to a service, 

13 

benefit, program or facility provided by, or on behalf of, the 

14 

Department of Human Services or the Department of Social 

15 

Services. 

16 

 

(2)  The holder of a protection visa or bridging visa may access a 

17 

service, benefit, program or facility provided by, or on behalf of, 

18 

the Department of Human Services or the Department of Social 

19 

Services on the same basis as an Australian citizen. 

20 

12  Section 46A 

21 

Repeal the section. 

22 

13  Section 73 

23 

Before "If", insert "(1)". 

24 

14  At the end of section 73 

25 

Add: 

26 

 

(2)  The Minister is taken to be satisfied that an eligible non-citizen 

27 

satisfies the criteria for a bridging visa as prescribed under 

28 

subsection 31(3) if subsection 189(4A) applies. 

29 

15  After subsection 189(4) 

30 

Insert: 

31 

Amendments  Schedule 1 

   

 

 

No.      , 2014 

Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) Bill 2014 

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(4A)  A person may be detained under subsections (1) to (4) for no more 

1 

than 14 days. If the person's application for a visa has not been 

2 

decided by the end of that time: 

3 

 

(a)  the person must be released; and 

4 

 

(b)  the Minister must grant a bridging visa to the person. 

5 

16  Paragraph 196(1)(aa) 

6 

Repeal the paragraph. 

7 

17  Subsection 198(11) 

8 

Repeal the subsection. 

9 

18  Subdivision B of Division 8 of Part 2 

10 

Repeal the Subdivision. 

11 

19  At the end of Subdivision A of Division 8 of Part 2 

12 

Add: 

13 

198A  Reporting requirements--asylum seeker arrivals and 

14 

protection visas 

15 

 

(1)  As soon as practicable after the end of a reporting period, the 

16 

Minister must table a report in each House of the Parliament that 

17 

sets out: 

18 

 

(a)  the number of asylum seekers that arrived in Australia's 

19 

migration zone during the reporting period; and 

20 

 

(b)  the number of protection visas granted during the reporting 

21 

period. 

22 

 

(2)  In this section: 

23 

reporting period means: 

24 

 

(a)  for the first report--the period beginning on the day this 

25 

section commences and ending 3 months after that day; and 

26 

 

(b)  for subsequent reports--the period beginning on the first day 

27 

after the end of the immediately preceding reporting period 

28 

and ending 6 months after that day. 

29 

20  Subsection 199(4) 

30 

Repeal the subsection, substitute: 

31 

Schedule 1  Amendments 

   

 

 

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Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) Bill 2014 

No.      , 2014 

 

 

(4)  Unless the unlawful non-citizen makes a request mentioned in 

1 

subsection (3), the dependent child or children of the non-citizen 

2 

are to remain with at least one of their parents during any period of 

3 

detention or transportation. 

4 

21  Paragraphs 336F(3)(a) and (4)(a) 

5 

Repeal the paragraphs, substitute: 

6 

 

(a)  the identifying information relates to an applicant for a 

7 

protection visa; and 

8 

22  Paragraph 336F(5)(b) 

9 

Omit "or". 

10 

23  Paragraphs 336F(5)(c), (ca), (cb) and (cc) 

11 

Repeal the paragraphs. 

12 

24  Paragraph 474(7)(a) 

13 

Omit "198AE,". 

14 

25  Section 494AA 

15 

Repeal the section. 

16 

26  Paragraph 494AB(1)(ca) 

17 

Repeal the paragraph. 

18 

27  After section 499 

19 

Insert: 

20 

499A  Equal access to review mechanisms 

21 

 

  Nothing in this Act is to be interpreted as affording an asylum 

22 

seeker lesser or different rights for review of a decision made 

23 

under this Act than that afforded to any other asylum seeker, 

24 

regardless of how the first-mentioned asylum seeker arrived in 

25 

Australia's migration zone. 

26