Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, , 6:21:15 to 6:25:56
Senator Payman seeks data on asylum seekers on bridging visas who lack access to Medicare, particularly those undergoing judicial review of their visa status.
Topics: Health, Human rights
Speakers: Senator Fatima Payman, Speaker 21, Unknown Speaker, Andrew Kiley, Clare Sharp, Michael Willard, Stephanie Foster
Thank you, Chair. My questions are around the Justice and Equity Centre's report beyond imagination. Is this the correct place to be asking questions around handcuffing and detention?
Senator detention issues we cover in outcome three. No worries.
How about questions around visa numbers? This is perfect. Can you please provide the number of people seeking asylum on a bridging visa of any kind who don't have access to Medicare Thank you.
Senator Michael Willard, Deputy Secretary of Immigration Programs Group. I'm not sure if we're in a position to break down the cohorts by anyone that would not have access.
So generally speaking, Senator, anyone at the primary states being assessed by the department will have access to Media Care. Anyone going through merits review at the administrative review tribunal will have access to Medicare as well. Judicial review, the access is less at that stage.
Okay, so every every asylum seeker on a bridging visa would have access to Medicare. Is that correct?
That's not quite that. It generally aligns with individuals who have work rights provided whilst they are going through their asylum claims being assessed. That is the overwhelming majority of individuals, but it wouldn't be every single individual on a bridging visa.
Would you have like a rough figure of like in terms of portions or percentage?
We may be able to just some officers may be able to gather the number of people who are currently at judicial review, which as Mr. Kiley was just saying, individuals who have not been found to be successful who are seeking judicial review will not have access to Medicare generally.
So I do have that figure. So it's 18,120 individuals who are at judicial review, having been refused protection. Again, I'm not sure we can break it down in the detail of exactly who does and does not have access to Medicare in that cohort.
Okay. Do we know how many individuals in this circumstance who have recently become ineligible or will soon become ineligible due to the recent I think it was 28th of September clarification of how Medicare eligibility is assessed for customers whose permanent visa applications have been finally determined?
Senator, the um the matter you're referring to is being led by Services Australia.
So that's the change that they're looking at.
So people who are undergoing judicial review they are exempted.
Are we saying that they are not eligible for Medicare?
Okay. And it doesn't impact others who may have applied for permanent visa.
There will be different rules, Senator, so it will depend on the individual circumstances. But generally, as Mr. Kylie said, or Mr. Willard, those that are applying for protection visa on a bridging visa generally have access to it. This cohort are the ones seeking judicial review or ministerial intervention.
Can you take it on notice to provide a breakdown of the number of people in each of these circumstances by state or territory of residents? Is that something that you got that the department can provide?
For people in bridging visas, Senator?
Yes, or those that are not eligible for Medicare.
Yes, Senator, we can take this.