- The Guardian
- Issue #2183
DFAT travel advice regarding Iran says, “We continue to advise do not travel to Iran and leave Iran as soon as possible … .” But last month Border Force officers seized an Afghan asylum seeker, “Nadim” (not his real name), and took him to Sydney airport in an attempt to force him back to Iran.
Nadim, who had travelled on an Afghan passport, with a sponsored visa, arrived in Australia from Iran on Sunday 22 February. His brother (an Afghan refugee and an Australian citizen) waited for him at the arrivals gate, but he never emerged.
Inside the airport Border Force officers had cancelled Nadim’s visa. Nadim was then detained and taken to ‘a designated place of detention’ at a hotel in Parramatta.
Only desperate last minute legal intervention prevented his deportation to danger. He was returned to Villawood detention centre in Sydney.
“These airport visa cancellations must stop,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, “Just like boat turn-arounds at sea, Labor is trying to turn asylum seekers around at airports. Labor is trashing their human rights. Asylum seekers have a right to make a protection claim.
“The idea that it was safe to send Nadim is farcical. It is to Labor’s eternal shame that they are blindly following Donald Trump who, despite his military threats against Iran, has deported around 120 Iranians since September last year. It is well-known that Afghans are not safe in Iran or Afghanistan. Labor has an obligation under the Refugee Convention to properly consider all asylum claims. It must end the turn-arounds and also end its policy of indefinite offshore detention.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
PARASITE OF THE WEEK: Westpac. The big bank is fuelling deep uncertainty among workers, with roles cut or outsourced across technology, lending, treasury, call centres and retail. At least 200 jobs have already been cut in the last month, with many more workers being moved into larger teams with fewer managers as the bank rolls out job cuts across multiple divisions.
More job cuts are expected across Westpac in the coming months as the Finance Sector Union warns the scale and spread of the changes means no part of the bank feels secure for workers.
The FSU says the latest changes come after an internal Westpac leak last year showing the bank intended to cut 1500 jobs.
When challenged, Westpac refused to confirm or deny this and instead notified the union of job cuts in a piecemeal way, just prior to them taking effect.
The latest job cuts have included the outsourcing of work to third-party contractors.
This involves outsourcing sensitive work, including details of customers experiencing hardship, reigniting concerns about offshoring and the loss of experienced, local staff. Workers report the changes are leading to frustration from customers, which is placing workers in increasingly difficult situations.
The cuts are also affecting customers, particularly in retail banking where new operating arrangements mean some branches will close earlier and limit certain services during the morning.
The FSU is demanding that Westpac provide greater transparency of any proposed changes, consult with workers before any restructure is finalised, prioritise redeployment before outsourcing work and protect customer services.
Finance Sector Union National Secretary Julia Angrisano said: “These cuts are happening right across the bank, from technology to lending, treasury, call centres and branches – workers are being told their jobs are at risk of their roles disappearing.
“There is enormous anxiety among workers because they simply don’t know where the next restructure will hit. These decisions are not just about job cuts – they are about outsourcing Australian banking work and hollowing out the skills and experience inside the bank.
“Westpac needs to stop treating workers as disposable and start working with them to identify solutions that protect jobs, service quality and long-term capability.”
