Human rights groups warn the law gives the immigration minister a new power to overturn refugee status

Human rights groups – and parliament’s own human rights committee – say a new law pushed through parliament gives the government the power to indefinitely detain refugees, potentially for the rest of their lives.

The Migration Amendment (Clarifying International Obligations for Removal) Bill 2021 was tabled on the last sitting day of the March session of parliament, and voted into law on Thursday, after debate was cut short on the floor of the Senate.

Related: Morrison government plan to make more migrants wait for benefits labelled ‘unusual’ and ‘harsh’

Related: Budget immigration costs: Australia will spend almost $3.4m for each person in offshore detention

This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.