King’s birthday honours list 2024: from a nun who spent 26 days outside parliament to ‘Australia’s job queen’. By Emily Wind, The Guardian

Sister Jane Keogh, 78, has been advocating for refugees “pretty well every day” since the Tampa affair in 2001. While the work could be “very discouraging” at times and significant policy change was yet to occur, Keogh said, it was the ability to “give hope to some people who otherwise have no hope” that kept her going.

Receiving an AM for her advocacy, Keogh believed that Australia was “living with the weight of our inhumanity of our attitudes to refugees over these 20 years”. If she could say one thing to Australia’s political leaders, it would be: “Grow a heart, live off principles and recover our belief in human rights.”

King’s birthday honours list 2024: from a nun who spent 26 days outside parliament to ‘Australia’s job queen’. By Emily Wind, The Guardian

From political asylum seeker to social entrepreneur. Presented by Rafael Epstein, ABC Radio Melbourne

From political asylum seeker to social entrepreneur, Dr Luz Restrepo OAM has embraced life in Australia with arms wide open.

After arriving in Melbourne with little English, little money, no connections and no career options, she built a life dedicated to helping migrant women facing similar hardships.

Dr Restrepo's many achievements include setting up SisterWorks, Migrant Women in Business, and sitting on the Victorian Multicultural Commission's Regional Advisory Committee.

Today her work has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia. But she told Raf Epstein the journey doesn't stop here.

From political asylum seeker to social entrepreneur. Presented by Rafael Epstein, ABC Radio Melbourne

Arrested Nun on the King’s Birthday honours list. Presented by Emma Bickley, Canberra Mornings, ABC Listen app

It might be unusual for a Catholic nun who has just been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), but one of Sister Jane Irene Keogh's fondest memories is of being arrested.

That's happened to her twice, most notably when she was participating in a sit-in protest at then-ACT senator Zed Seselja's office a decade ago.

Sr Jane spoke to ABC Canberra’s Mornings program about her arrests, the plight of refugees in Papua New Guinea, her religion of action, needing counselling to keep going when it all gets too much, her affinity with atheists and living in the mystery.

Arrested Nun on the King’s Birthday honours list. Presented by Emma Bickley, Canberra Mornings, ABC Listen app

A protesting nun, a volunteering dentist and the CEO of a domestic violence service among Canberra recipients of King's Birthday Honours. By Lottie Twyford, ABC News

It might be unusual for a nun who has just been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), but one of Jane Irene Keogh's fondest memories is of being arrested. 

Sister Keogh said she had always had strong values, something she thinks she inherited from her father, who was awarded an MBE for services to the Commonwealth. 

But her advocacy work really began when the Tampa affair hit the headlines in 2001. 

"I got involved because I was angry," she said. 

A protesting nun, a volunteering dentist and the CEO of a domestic violence service among Canberra recipients of King's Birthday Honours. By Lottie Twyford, ABC News

Fire danger and bits from Bunnings: $50m border boats beset with problems. By Nick McKenzie, Zach Hope, Garry McNab & Amilia Rosa, SMH

As flames licked the floor and engine casing, threatening to engulf the entire engine room, Border Force officers raced to extinguish the fire. The Cape York limped back to Darwin on a single engine, leaving its patch of ocean unguarded.

About 48 hours later, news broke of the arrival of the 39 foreigners. But the Cape York’s problems stayed secret.

“Had there not been a fire, the asylum seekers would have been located,” a former Border Force Cape-class crew member told this masthead, speaking anonymously because it is an offence under Operation Sovereign Borders secrecy laws to speak to the media.

Fire danger and bits from Bunnings: $50m border boats beset with problems. By Nick McKenzie, Zach Hope, Garry McNab & Amilia Rosa, SMH

What is happening in Home Affairs following Mike Pezzullo’s departure. By Karen Barlow, The Saturday Paper

The Turnbull-era super domestic security Department of Home Affairs is an operational department, likened to running a small navy or air force. There are now more than 15,000 employees, almost half of whom work for the supercharged customs service, Australian Border Force, and it is also the second largest revenue collector in government, bringing in $22 billion a year.

It is not one workplace culture but several. In its creation, Immigration was watered down, becoming a section rather than a department for the first time since 1945. It is still not a cabinet position in the ministry. Giles is the junior minister to Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil.

Now the “boats and borders” portfolio of Home Affairs faces a comprehensive restructure following the termination of departmental head Mike Pezzullo and revelations that it is the most undesirable workplace culture in the public service.

Insiders, not named by The Saturday Paper to allow them to speak freely, say a lot of work has been done but a “really big” rebuild is required. Year after year there have been problems with Home Affairs. They have included visa scams, visa backlogs, Red Notice bungles and a scandalously outdated IT system.

“It’s poorly resourced,” Rizvi tells The Saturday Paper. “It’s trying to manage volumes of cases that are just extraordinary with a staffing level that had, under Pezzullo, shrunk dramatically. Now the current government is trying to restore that, but that’s got a long way to go.”

Rizvi speaks of morale broken by Pezzullo’s authoritarian leadership. “The message was clear. He dressed a lot of people up in very dark uniforms. He introduced guns. And having done all of that, it led to a massive exodus of senior staff from the department.”

What is happening in Home Affairs following Mike Pezzullo’s departure. By Karen Barlow, The Saturday Paper

People smugglers arrested, given free pass to help hunt bosses. By Zach Hope, Amilia Rosa and Nick McKenzie, SMH

The fisherman turned people smuggling foot soldier, who this masthead and 60 Minutes tracked to a remote village in Indonesia’s Southeast Sulawesi province, has described his relief in escaping criminal charges in Darwin.

He struck a deal with authorities in Jakarta to trace the organised criminals running the networks, who are stepping up their efforts to test Australia border security.

People smugglers arrested, given free pass to help hunt bosses. By Zach Hope, Amilia Rosa and Nick McKenzie, SMH

Andrew Giles issues new rules for visa cancellations that make community safety ‘highest priority’. By Paul Karp & Benita Kovolos, The Guardian

Giles said that his concern “is to act in the national interest” and confirmed he had told the New Zealand foreign minister, Winston Peters, about the new revised directions “to ensure that the principles of common sense and the protection of the Australian community were paramount when it came to visa conditions”.

Andrew Giles issues new rules for visa cancellations that make community safety the ‘highest priority.’ By Paul Karp & Benita Kovolos, The Guardian

Border force apologises for failing to prevent ‘misconduct’ after reports found bullying and harassment. By Paul Karp & Josh Taylor, The Guardian

In its report on the marine unit, the Australian Human Rights Commision found that 100% of women who responded to a survey “witnessed sex discrimination, sexual … and/or sex-based harassment” and 78% had personally experienced that behaviour.

Instances of alleged sexual discrimination in the Australian Border Force included misogynistic and belittling comments, withholding information from a pregnant officer, and comments from a team leader about wanting to “get rid of all his part-time workers” who were all women.

Border force apologises for failing to prevent ‘misconduct’ after reports found bullying and harassment. By Paul Karp & Josh Taylor, The Guardian

The boats have (almost) stopped; but Indonesia’s people smugglers are thriving? By Duncan Graham, Michael West Media

This ‘upturn’ in arrivals under the present government and the inclusion of a few Chinese has refuelled the Opposition’s allegation that Labor is soft on security and encouraging boat people. In response the government has hardened the Morrison-era line of ‘we stopped the boats’.

The boats have (almost) stopped; but Indonesia’s people smugglers are thriving? By Duncan Graham, Michael West Media

Housing, ankle bracelets and some other things that have very little to do with immigration. By Annabel Crabb, ABC News

We all love multiculturalism, in short, but we do reserve the right to lose our minds every now and again when something in particular riles us up.

Right now, there are two such political hotspots: a) the housing crisis, and b) the crimes allegedly committed by several dozen of the 153 non-citizens who the government was obliged to release following last year's High Court decision that governments did not have the right to detain a person forever.

These "crises" occupy an extraordinary bandwidth in political debate, especially since the budget. Neither of them is a crisis truly generated by immigration. They are, however, crises that push on the always half-open door of anti-immigrant feeling in this nation of people composed — more than 19 in every 20 of us — of immigrants.

Housing, ankle bracelets and some other things that have very little to do with immigration. By Annabel Crabb, ABC News

Number of asylum seekers on Nauru jumps as Australia transfers 37 people who arrived by boat. By Ben Doherty and Paul Karp, The Guardian

The number of asylum seekers on Nauru appears to have topped 100, with a further two groups of 37 people sent to the Pacific Island.

The Greens immigration spokesperson, David Shoebridge, accused the government of “disappearing” asylum seekers who come to Australia, and of displaying a “performative cruelty … that seems to have lost its moral compass”.

Number of asylum seekers on Nauru jumps as Australia transfers 37 people who arrived by boat. By Ben Doherty and Paul Karp, The Guardian

Report finds ‘clear need’ for an Australian Human Rights Act. What difference would it make? The Conversation

The recommendations are now with the federal government to consider and seek further advice. The report helpfully provides an example of what a human rights bill might look like, to promote understanding and discussion.

It is up to government to decide whether to accept the recommendations and, if so, for parliament to vote.

Report finds ‘clear need’ for an Australian Human Rights Act. What difference would it make? The Conversation

Tricked or forced out of Australia: the vulnerable women at the centre of a hidden domestic violence crisis. By Adeshola Ore, The Guardian

Amid a spate of horrific domestic violence killings in Australia, migration and trafficking experts say there is a hidden crisis where women, typically those already subject to domestic violence, are tricked, threatened or forced into leaving Australia. Technically called exit trafficking, the practice is illegal and is treated as a form of people trafficking under commonwealth law.

Tricked or forced out of Australia: the vulnerable women at the centre of a hidden domestic violence crisis. By Adeshola Ore, The Guardian

Living in a tent: the Melbourne family left homeless after a visa processing bungle. By Cait Kelly, The Guardian

Gurpreet Singh has lived and worked in Australia for 14 years.

Two of his three children with his wife, Jasbir, are Australian citizens and all three are enrolled in school.

But a visa processing delay led to Singh being classified as an unlawful migrant and losing his right to work. The family was left homeless, living out of a tent for almost a month. They are now surviving off charity.

Living in a tent: the Melbourne family left homeless after a visa processing bungle. By Cait Kelly, The Guardian

The Coalition’s attempts to derail Labor over immigration have just made Dutton the target. By Karen Middleton, The Guardian

Immigration is a wickedly complex and tough portfolio so the first test is: would anyone else handle it better than the beleaguered incumbent?

Giles’ gentle presentation makes him seem hesitant in the face of the Coalition onslaught and that leans some of his colleagues towards maybe. Others argue the problem is not the minister’s competence or communication but the circumstances – the high court’s November ruling that indefinite detention was unlawful and the home affairs department’s failure to properly notify him that some of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal decisions allowing violent criminals to stay in Australia might need attention.

The Coalition’s attempts to derail Labor over immigration have just made Dutton the target. By Karen Middleton, The Guardian

This Sydney psychologist spent weeks in Gaza. She saw children 'frozen' from starvation. By Rashida Yosufzai & Anna Henderson, SBS

When clinical psychologist Scarlett Wong began receiving children in Gaza for treatment, her team was told the kids needed help for developmental delay or autism. But their condition had nothing to do with either.
They were starving….

….But as her placement was wrapping up in Gaza, it was the final messages from her colleagues to the world that still haunt her.

"They said, 'Can you tell everybody who's helped us, thank you'," Wong remembers.
"And then they said, 'Tell your children about us, tell them about our lives and that we love life'

This Sydney psychologist spent weeks in Gaza. She saw children 'frozen' from starvation. By Rashida Yosufzai & Anna Henderson, SBS

ABC denies holding emergency talks after Laura Tingle’s ‘racist country’ comments criticised in Murdoch press. By Amanda Meade, The Guardian

On Sunday, while discussing the Coalition’s plans to cut immigration, Tingle said: “We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been, and it’s very depressing.”

ABC denies holding emergency talks after Laura Tingle’s ‘racist country’ comments criticised in Murdoch press. By Amanda Meades, The Guardian