The petition of the undersigned shows:

Australia is currently one of the only developed countries which does not have a Complementary Protection process in place for those who arrive in Australia in need of protection and who fall outside the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugee (Refugee Convention) criteria. This includes girls and women facing honour killings and female genital mutilation.

Australia has clear obligations under a number of international treaties not to return a person seeking protection to a place where their lives or well-being could be threatened (non-refoulement). Complementary Protection legisla­tion would ensure that Australia fulfils its non-refoulement obligations.

Your petitioners ask that the Senate:

Pass the Migration Amendment (Comple­mentary Protection) Bill 2011 that seeks to protect people who fall outside of the Refugee Convention criteria but who would face situations of danger or even death if returned to their home country.

by Senator Hanson-Young (from 470 citizens)

Petition received.