17cwcne5ahrm6

RACS ANNUAL REPORT 2013/14 10
TIMELINE OF LEGAL AND POLICY CHANGES FOR
ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO CAME BY BOAT
1 JULY 2013 - 25 SEPTEMBER 2014
19 July 2013
• Regional Settlement Agreement
signed with PNG and later with
Nauru. All asylum seekers arriving
by boat will be sent to PNG or Nauru
with no possibility of settlement in
Australia, with no exceptions.
18 October 2013 – 2
December 2013
• Temporary Protection Visas
introduced then disallowed by
the Senate.
19 September 2013
• Change of government. A
stop to “lifting of the bar”
to allow any asylum seekers
who came by boat to apply
for protection.
4 December 2013 –
20 December 2013
• The maximum number
of protection visas for
the 2013/2014 financial
year was capped, then
uncapped.
31 August 2013
1 July 2013
• Pre-election Coalition
announcement that all asylum
seekers arriving by boat and
found to be refugees will
be only granted Temporary
Protection Visas. The
cessation of IAAAS funding
for asylum seekers who arrive
by boat.
• The Department of Immigration announced that asylum
seekers who arrived by boat after 13 August 2012 would be
able to apply for protection with IAAAS assistance.
14 December 2013
• An enforceable code of
behaviour comes into effect for
Bridging Visa E holders.
14 December 2013 - 27
March 2014
• 866.222 introduced then
disallowed by the Senate. The
effect of 866.222 was that
asylum seekers who arrived by
boat no longer qualified for the
866 permanent protection visa.
• Ministerial Direction mandates that RRT must process boat
arrival cases last.