Asylum Seeker Position Statement

The Animal Justice Party (AJP) will act upon its core principles of Kindness, Equality, Rationality and Non-Violence, by responding to the suffering of those persons who are forced to leave their countries of origin as a result of displacement by war, genocide, breakdown of public order or a well-founded fear of persecution based on unlawful discrimination.

As a good global citizen, Australia has a proud history of being amongst the first countries to ratify the UN Convention on Refugees, including other related conventions, and to accept refugees in dire circumstances from around the world.

Our position is that Australia has a moral and a legal obligation to comply with the international treaties we have ratified. Australia has a right to apply domestic laws that establish border integrity, but this must be done in such a way that persons fleeing persecution for legitimate reasons will be protected under Australian law.

Refugees must not be prevented from accessing their rights as asylum seekers. In particular, the AJP condemns the removal and processing of those seeking asylum to countries other than those approved by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

We also believe that citizens, journalists and NGOs must be able to observe the conditions provided for asylum seekers and displaced persons by this government and its agencies.