"Enhanced Screening" Process
Ben Fairless made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Home Affairs
This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.
Dear Department of Immigration and Border Protection,
I refer to the article in the Guardian Online today[1] which quotes Scott Morrison discussing the "transfer of "41 persons, including 37 Sinhalese and 4 Tamil Sri Lankan nationals" to the Sri Lankan Navy.
In the above article, it is reported that "The minister confirmed asylum claims were assessed via the controversial process of “enhanced screening”.
I request a copy of the "enhanced screening" process to which the Minister refers.
If this document has already been released by the Department under FOI or in response to a request outside of FOI, I would appreciate the department providing a link to it. If the document is not in the possession of the Department, I would appreciate the department transferring the request to the agency which would posses the document.
I also request that the costs associated with this request be waived as this matter is entirely in the public interest. There are several concerns regarding "enhanced screening"[2][3][4][5][6][7] the worst of which that we are breaching our international and humanitarian obligations. Access to this document would help inform public debate around Australia's compliance with its International and humanitarian obligations.
Yours faithfully,
Ben Fairless
[1]http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/ju...
[2] https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publicati...
[3] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-10/as...
[4] http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/the...
[5] http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/ope...
UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Mr Fairless
I refer to your recent request seeking access to the ‘Enhanced screening’
process.
The department has released these types of documents under the FOI Act.
These documents are listed on the department’s 2013 Disclosure log. I have
attached the relevant documents to this email.
Included in these documents is a copy of the department’s Enhanced
Screening Policy Guidelines. These guidelines are still current.
In light of the documents being released to you as part of the disclosure
log, please confirm in writing if you agree to withdraw this FOI request.
To assist the department in managing its FOI caseload please provide your
response by close of business Thursday 10 July 2014.
If no response is received the department will continue to process your
request in accordance with the FOI Act.
Your Sincerely
Janelle Raineri
FOI Inbox Manager
FOI & Privacy Policy Section
Parliamentary and Executive Coordination Branch I Immigration and Border
Protection Portfolio
E: [1][email address]
UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Mr Fairless
Thank you for your email and your advice that you withdraw the request.
The request has been closed in our FOI system.
You remain welcome to submit a new request at any time.
Yours Sincerely
Janelle Raineri
FOI Inbox Manager
FOI & Privacy Policy Section
Parliamentary and Executive Coordination Branch I Immigration and Border
Protection Portfolio
E: [1][email address]