Statement of condolences on the Passing of Asylum Seekers Centre Patron, Bruce Baird AM
The Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) and its community are deeply saddened by the passing of our esteemed patron, Bruce Baird… Read More
This week, the Asylum Seekers Centre is proud to officially launch the End the Safety Tax campaign—calling for an immediate end to an unjust policy that puts refugee protection behind a paywall.
Right now, people seeking asylum in Australia must pay mandatory Bupa health checks to be granted protection. If they can’t afford these private fees, their protection status is withheld.
Charging vulnerable people for health checks to access safety is ethically indefensible and risks breaching Australia’s obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The cruelty of this system was thrust into the national spotlight during Senate Estimates early this week.
Senator David Pocock called out this broken model and urged the government to find more compassionate, practical alternatives.
Watch Senator Pocock’s full question in the Senate:
