Asylum Seekers Now Only Have a Matter of Weeks to Lodge Their Claims

Refugee groups have called the decision ‘alarming’.

More than 12,000 refugees are receiving letters from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, warning them they’ve only got a matter of weeks to lodge their claim.

The decision has come as a huge shock, given the initial deadline was one year.

Asylum seekers who don’t meet the deadline could lose their right to claim asylum all together. They might also be unable to access welfare payments and Medicare.

“It’s having an enormously negative impact on people who have been kept in limbo, sometimes for many many years,” Tim O’Connor—spokesperson from the Refugee Council of Australia—told SBS.

“These people have come to Australia seeking safety, they’ve come here seeking protection. They don’t often have good English and certainly not much money to be able to access lawyers,” he explained.

The decision will likely prompt a spike in requests for specialist services, including specialist legal services, by as much as 300 per cent. There are concerns the policy change will force people to lodge applications without getting critical legal assistance.

“Community legal services are already operating at capacity,” urged Melinda Jackson, a solicitor with the Asylum seeker Resource Centre. “We know from experience that the Department is more likely to approve visa applications that are prepared with the assistance of a lawyer.”

Jackson said lawyers are needed now—more than ever—to support people through the difficult process.

“We need the Australian government to restore funding for essential legal services,” she added.

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