The Greens have urged the Federal Government to reject outright the Opposition’s call to reinstate the much-criticised Temporary Protection Visas.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull told ABC radio this morning that the reintroduction of Temporary Protection Visas “should be high on the agenda”, following the arrival of boats carrying asylum seekers in Australian waters last week.

“Temporary Protection Visas should remain buried as a cruel relic of the former Howard regime,” said Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

“Australia was then the only country in the world to have this kind of visa, which was actually in contravention of our international legal obligations to refugees.

“Temporary Protection Visas left genuine refugees living in limbo and fear, while attempting to build a new life after fleeing torture and persecution.

“The restrictions on family reunion breached the human rights of children.

“The Greens have always opposed TPVs, as have respected humanitarian organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Refugee Council of Australia.

“Even the Liberals under John Howard recognised that the TPV policy had to go and spoke about moving away from it, before the Rudd Government did away with it altogether.

“Why would we want to return to such an inhumane approach, which simply condemned the world’s most vulnerable people to an uncertain future, compounding their trauma and suffering?

“The Government must reject Mr Turnbull’s call for TPVs to be reintroduced, just as former immigration minister Philip Ruddock originally rejected the idea as ‘highly unconscionable’ when it was suggested by Pauline Hanson back in 1998.

“The Greens also reiterate the call for all asylum seekers on any future boats to be brought to the Australian mainland for claims to be processed and checks to be carried out.”