By Molly Magennis
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) has called on the Australian government to reform it’s administrative review system.
The ASRC has urged the Morrison government to reform the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and abolish the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA).
In a media release, the ASRC said that “successive governments have undermined the credibility and functionality of the AAT through lack of funding and non-merit based appointments.”
They state that 119 current members of the AAT lack legal qualifications.
Because of this lack of expertise, and underfunding, they state that “the average time for a review of protection visa application refusals to over 3 years.”
Principal Solicitor of ASRC’s Human Rights Law Program, Dr Carolyn Graydon, said that the AAT plays a crucial role in providing a safety net for unfair and incorrect government decisions for people seeking asylum.
“It requires urgent support and reform so that people seeking asylum, other applicants and the community at large can all have confidence in its decisions and processes.”
