The government has failed in its attempt to ram unprecedented changes to the migration act through parliament. The laws, now being reviewed by a senate committee, could be disastrous.

The High Court judges unanimously held that a person must be released from immigration detention where there is no real prospect of them being deported in the foreseeable future.

The overturning of almost 20 years of legal precedent allowing indefinite detention is a watershed moment. But stateless people in Australia have few rights and little say over their futures.

Parents wanting to migrate to Australia to join their children face ludicrous delays, and if opting for a paid contributory visa, exorbitant fees.