Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has today launched yet another unfair and extreme attack on refugees and people seeking asylum. 

Mr Dutton has announced that people seeking asylum will only have until October 1 to lodge an application for protection or they will be cut off from Government payments, subject to removal from Australia, and banned from re-entering the country. The announcement is expected to affect 7,500 people. 

This comes after the Government has already cut legal support for people seeking asylum and put a freeze on the granting of protection visas - a freeze which was only lifted for all people seeking asylum in late 2016. 

The simple fact is Peter Dutton and the Turnbull Government are deliberately making the process of applying for protection as difficult as possible. 

Last week, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was spruiking Australia's commitment to human rights as part of the Government's campaign to win a seat on the Human Rights Council. However, actions speak louder than words and today's announcement is yet another example of a Government that has no regard for our international legal and humanitarian obligations.

There are over 21 million refugees worldwide and the international community is facing the biggest humanitarian crisis since World War Two.

In this context, it is simply beyond embarrassing that our Government is doing everything it possibly can to deny basic rights to 7,500 people seeking asylum in Australia.

It's time the Government stopped using refugees and people seeking asylum as political footballs.

Media Contact: Dominic Ofner 0407 678 564