Media releases

Morrison's Review into Refugee Resettlement Kept Secret

September 25, 2019

ANDREW GILES MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CITIES AND URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
SHADOW MINISTER ASSISTING FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
MEMBER FOR SCULLIN

The Morrison Government is keeping secret a major review into humanitarian resettlement rejecting a Freedom of Information request, claiming "Cabinet in Confidence".

The FOI documents show the review has produced one document and that document, as of 12 September 2019, was either still being considered by Cabinet or hasn't even gone to Cabinet yet.

On 13 December 2018, the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister David Coleman announced a Review Into Integration, Employment and Settlement Outcomes chaired by Professor Peter Shergold AC.

The review had the aim of recommending "policy options for improving the integration, employment and settlement outcomes of refugees and humanitarian entrants" and Prime Minister Morrison said at the time, "we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to help people get jobs and integrate into the community." These latest FOI revelations come as the Minister for Population, Alan Tudge, spruiks that the Morrison Government want more refugees to go to the regions with "further incentives and support for humanitarian entrants to go to regional areas".

How does the Morrison Government have a plan to resettle refugees in the regions if they haven't made a decision?

Failing to release this report is treating the public with contempt, as well as letting down refugees and our communities.

First Barnaby Joyce was caught out failing to produce a report in his role as Special Envoy for Drought and now Scott Morrison is keeping another report secret.

What has the Morrison Government got to hide? Is this yet another example of Scott Morrison manipulating the truth?

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