Greens senators Larissa Waters, Mehreen Faruqi and Janet Rice have written to the Minister for Women and Foreign Affairs Marise Payne to urge the Government to provide immediate and increased aid to help women and girls now subject to Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

To ensure that aid is targeted to those most in need the aid should be delivered through partnerships with civil society and aid organisations working on the ground.

Cutting 20,000 places from Australia's humanitarian intake is cruel and unnecessary, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.

"The Liberals' decision to reduce Australia's humanitarian intake from 18,750 to 13,750 for the next four years is devastating to displaced people around the world and the millions of Australians who want a compassionate refugee policy," Senator McKim said.

"That is 20,000 men, women and children who will remain displaced because of deliberate decisions taken by this Government."

Comments from Greens Immigration spokesperson Senator Nick McKim on New Zealand's decision to grant asylum to Behrouz Boochani:

"New Zealand granting asylum to Behrouz Boochani shows what true compassion from a government looks like, and shows Australia’s polices up for the cruel and dangerous disgrace that they are."

"This is bittersweet news. Behrouz is free at last but so many others remain in exile or in prison. We have stolen their hope and their dreams, and it’s time to give them back."

“Just when you begin to hope that the Labor Party was starting to find a backbone on refugees, Bill Shorten has gone to water,” said Australian Greens Leader, Dr Richard Di Natale.  
 
“Despite his Deputy saying the Government’s policy to transfer sick patients to Christmas island for treatment was ‘difficult to understand’ and his Immigration spokesperson saying the reopening the centre was ‘silly’, Bill Shorten thinks it’s ‘fine’.
 

Australia has much to lament this World Refugee Day, Greens Immigration Spokesperson Nick McKim says.

“There are still hundreds of men, women and children trapped in detention on Manus Island and Nauru because of Labor and the Liberals’ cruel policies,“ Senator McKim said.

“Meanwhile, Australia’s refugee intake remains completely inadequate.”

“This government is also attacking refugees and people seeking asylum here in Australia by cutting financial support.”

Today’s withdrawal of International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) as the Australian government’s health provider on Manus Island will mean further erosion of crucial health support for refugees and people seeking asylum in Papua New Guinea, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim said.

"Health supports for detainees on Manus island have never been at an acceptable level, but it now seems inevitable that the humanitarian catastrophe will worsen with increased risk of further self-harm and mental illness," Senator McKim said.

Malcolm Turnbull urgently needs to show stronger leadership over the humanitarian disaster in Myanmar, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.

"This is the biggest refugee crisis in our region for decades, and Australia is failing to step up," Senator McKim said.

"Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children have been displaced, and the UN has described what is happening as ethnic cleansing."

"There is a range of obvious steps that Mr Turnbull could be taking but he is stubbornly refusing to show leadership."

Peter Dutton's denial of care and rights to refugees in his care on Nauru is an attack on their humanity, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.

"It is simply not acceptable for women to be denied basic health and reproductive rights just because it is politically convenient for Mr Dutton," Senator McKim said.

"These are ideological decisions that must be overturned."

"Basic human rights and freedoms are not negotiable - these women and their children must be brought to Australia immediately."