Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave is granted for one minute.

The government will not be supporting this motion. A fundamental part of Australia's immigration system is that people found not to engage Australia's protection obligations and to have no lawful basis to remain in Australia are expected to return to their country of origin. Australia does not remove people where this would contravene our obligations under international human rights instruments to which Australia is a party, including the Refugee Convention. Australia is bound by the customary international law principle of non-interference in the international affairs of other sovereign states. Australia's consular obligations and entitlements under international law do not extend to monitoring the welfare of non-national offshore citizens.