Asylum seekers living in the Australian community are being forced to jump through multiple new hoops if they want to own a pet.
People receiving government payments while they wait to see if they will be granted protection have been told they must seek permission from the immigration department and their landlords before buying an animal.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre advocacy director Jana Favero considers the new directive an attack on the freedoms of people seeking protection.
"They're at the whim of the government, who can control whether they get income payments, whether they get accommodation, and now even trying to control whether or not they can have a pet," Ms Favero told AAP on Thursday.
"Most people would probably agree that just from a human decency point of view, having a pet is one thing you should be able to choose yourself."
Ms Favero views the tougher restrictions as a cruel and punitive waste of time designed to exert control.
"They're trying to make their lives as hard as possible," she said.
The Victorian government this month announced every tenant in the state would soon have the right to have pets in their rental property.
The immigration department has since received an increase in questions about pets.
"This has resulted in a minor change in operational policy," an immigration spokesperson told AAP, confirming the changes made.
However, the department flatly rejected any suggestion it imposed a "no pets" policy.
Asylum seekers granted permission to purchase a pet will not receive financial support to look after them.
Share
