Syrian Refugee Resettlement

Shri Rajen made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Home Affairs

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was refused by Department of Home Affairs.

Dear Department of Immigration and Border Protection,

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth), I wish to access the documents which detail the resettlement of the 12,000 Syrian refugees in SA, NT, & NSW.

I also wish to obtain the correspondence between NSW Premier Mike Baird and NSW Co-ordinator-General for Refugee Resettlement Peter Shergold, regarding the resettlement of the Syrian refugees.

Yours faithfully,

Shri Rajen

Dear Shri Rajen

 

This email is to confirm that the Department of Immigration and Border
Protection (the Department) has received your request to access documents.

 

I note that there are two parts to your request including:

1.    Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth), I wish to access
the documents which detail the resettlement of the 12,000 Syrian refugees
in SA, NT, & NSW.

2.    I also wish to obtain the correspondence between NSW Premier Mike
Baird and NSW Co-ordinator-General for Refugee Resettlement Peter
Shergold, regarding the resettlement of the Syrian refugees.

 

Part 2 of your request is seeking access to correspondence between
individuals that are not representatives and/or officers of this
Department. As a result the Department would be unlikely to hold this
correspondence. For this reason you may wish to consider withdrawing part
2 of your request with this Department.

 

You may consider lodging an FOI request for part 2 directly to the NSW
Government which is governed by the Government Information (Public Access)
Act 2009 (NSW).

See:
[1]http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/about/accessin...

 

Please confirm, in writing, how you would like to proceed with your FOI
request and if you agree to withdraw part 2 of your request. Following
your advice the Department will issue you a formal acknowledgement letter.
Please respond by close of business Friday 9 October 2015.

 

Yours sincerely  

 

Janelle Raineri

A/g Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

Access to Information | Information Management Task Force

Corporate Group

Department of Immigration and Border Protection

P: 02 6264 1580 

E: [email address]

 

Please note I am out of the office from 2:30 PM

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear Janelle Raineri,

I would like to proceed with part one of my request and withdraw part two of the request.

Yours sincerely,

Shri Rajen

1 Attachment

Our references: FA 15/10/00715; ADF2015/57107

 

Dear Rajen

 

Please find attached the acknowledgement of receipt for your recent FOI
Request.

 

Exclusion of non-SES staff personal details and SES telephone contact
details

The Department’s policy is to exclude the personal details of officers not
in the Senior Executive Service (SES), as well as the mobile and work
telephone numbers of SES staff, contained in documents that fall within
scope of an FOI request. If you require names and contact details of
non-SES officers, or direct telephone numbers of SES staff, please inform
us so the decision maker may consider your request. Otherwise we will take
it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope of
your request.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Janelle Raineri

A/g Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

Access to Information | Information Management Task Force

Corporate Group

Department of Immigration and Border Protection
P: 02 6264 1580 

E: [1][email address]

 

Please note I am out of the office from 2:30 PM

 

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately.  This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
 

Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. 
DIBP respects your privacy and has obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
 

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Janelle Raineri,

I don't need the contact details or names of the staffs.

Yours sincerely,

Shri Rajen

Our references: FA 15/10/00715; ADF2015/57107

 

Dear Rajen

 

I refer to your request to seek access to the following:

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth), I wish to access the
documents which detail the resettlement of the 12,000 Syrian refugees in
SA, NT, & NSW.

 

I have consulted with the relevant business areas within the Department
and they have advised that the documents you seek are not held by our
Department.

 

The advice provides that the documents which have been sought include
information on the “resettlement of the 12,000 Syrian refugees in SA, NT,
& NSW”.  However, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection
(DIPB) does not manage the settlement of refugees once they arrive in
Australia. This process is managed by the Department of Social Services. 
Your request should be submitted to that Department.

 

As a result the Department contacted the Department of Social Services and
they advised that you are welcome to submit your request with their agency
at [1][email address]

 

Given this advice the Department asks you to withdraw the FOI request from
the Department of Immigration and Border Protection as a decision refuse
access will need to be considered due to no relevant records being held by
this Department. If you agree to withdraw the request please provide this
advice in writing to [2][email address] by close of business 29 October
2015.

 

If no response is received the Department will continue to process your
request in accordance with the FOI Act.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Janelle Raineri

A/g Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

Access to Information | Information Management Task Force

Corporate Group

Department of Immigration and Border Protection

P: 02 6264 1580 

E: [email address]

 

 

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Locutus Sum left an annotation ()

It is unfortunate that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. did not simply transfer the request. They are not obligated to transfer it, and they can only transfer (I think) with the agreement of the other agency, but it would be polite and helpful for both agencies to organize this simple thing.

To the applicant: I suggest that you withdraw this application and, on a new Right to Know page, make an application to the other agency. It will save you time. It will also make the life of the officer in the Department of Immigration and Border Protection easier. She will be grateful.

UNCLASSIFIED

Our references: FA 15/10/00715; ADF2015/57107

 

Dear Rajen

 

I refer to the below correspondence, our records indicate that you have
not responded to indicate how you would like to proceed. Therefore, the
Department will move to finalise a decision on access to your request. I
note that in line with the advice provided the Department will be
considering a decision to refuse access as no documents exist within this
agency that are subject to your request

 

Please be aware that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection
(the Department) has seen a significant increase in the number of FOI
requests received by this agency. As a result there are expected delays
involved with the processing of FOI requests at the present time.
Generally, requests will be processed in the order that they are received.
The Department will endeavour to finalise your request as quickly as
possible.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Janelle Raineri

A/g Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

Access to Information | Information Management Task Force

Corporate Group

Department of Immigration and Border Protection
P: 02 6264 1580 

E: [1][email address]

 

Please note I am out of the office from 2:30 PM

 

UNCLASSIFIED

show quoted sections

1 Attachment

UNCLASSIFIED

Our references: FA 15/10/00715; ADF2015/57107

 

Dear Rajen

 

I refer to your FOI request received on 4 October 2015.  

 

The Department has made a decision on this request. Please see attached
the signed decision letter.

 

This request has now been closed.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Janelle Raineri

A/g Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

Access to Information | Information Management Task Force

Corporate Group

Department of Immigration and Border Protection
P: 02 6264 1580 

E: [1][email address]

 

Please note I am out of the office from 2:30 PM

 

UNCLASSIFIED

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately.  This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
 

Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. 
DIBP respects your privacy and has obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
 

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

Locutus Sum left an annotation ()

My annotation is to correct an error I made when I made the previous comment. I implied that the officers of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection had not been helpful and had not transferred the applicant's request to the Department of Social Servies. I was wrong. It is the Department of Social Services who have been refractory. The officer from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection says in the access refusal notice: "The Department [of Immigration and Border Protection] approached DSS to transfer your request under the provisions of the FOI Act. At that time they declined to accept the transfer. However, they did advise that you would be welcome to submit an FOI request to them directly for which they would process."

Can any person explain why the DSS would refuse to accept this transfer?