Curfews and electronic bracelets for asylum-seekers released by High Court ruling
Taxpayers will foot the $180k-a-month bill to electronically track 84 convicted criminals released from immigration detention following the High Court’s recent ruling.
NSW
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Taxpayers will fork out about $180,000 a month to electronically track 84 convicted criminals released from immigration detention as Labor scrambles to ensure community safety.
Of the 92 asylum seekers identified by the federal government as being impacted by the High Court ruling that their ongoing detention was unlawful, 64 were previously convicted for “very serious” and violent offences, among them murderers, pedophiles and rapists.
Mandatory curfews and electronic bracelets will now be used to monitor the movements of the 84 asylum seekers released so far, under new laws Labor rushed through parliament yesterday.
Individuals who breach these extra visa conditions face up to five years in prison.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the asylum seekers, who cannot be deported, should be returned to detention immediately, but Labor argued this would fly in the face of the High Court’s decision.
“These are people who are of the worst character and they are non-citizens … (who) do not deserve to live in our country,” Mr Dutton said.
“I think the Australian public is rightly outraged at a government that sees fit to let (them) back out into the community.”
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said the emergency measures to monitor the asylum-seekers would ensure the community’s safety.
“Further responses may be required once we have received the High Court’s reasons for decision,” he said.
An ankle monitor similar to the one used by NSW Justice would cost about $71 a day, or $25,800 a year, per detainee.
Security expert from Calamity Daniel Lewkovitz said the asylum seeker cases were unlike a traditional offender or bail-monitoring program where those being tracked had a strong incentive to comply with the rules.
“Where you have people who have a known criminal history or criminal tendency, a tracking bracelet is not some sort of magic bullet because at the end of the day they can be trivially, easily removed,” he said.
“The world is filled with examples of unlawful migrants disappearing into the community, potentially for their whole entire life, just working for cash.”
The released asylum seekers are currently receiving income support through the Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) payment, which is assessed on a case-by-case basis, although refugee advocates have said it is typically about 89 per cent of the JobSeeker Payment, on average, which would be about $660 a fortnight.
The government on Thursday published data revealing 35 of the asylum seekers impacted by the court ruling failed the character test under the Migration Act for “violent, sexual or exploitative” offences.
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Originally published as Curfews and electronic bracelets for asylum-seekers released by High Court ruling
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