Refugee Action Collective-CAMPAIGN STATEMENT
No to racism-Free the refugees
WE, the undersigned, are writing to protest the treatment of refugees
seeking asylum in Australia. Under present Australian laws, these refugees
fleeing intolerable circumstances are subjected to mandatory detention.
In reality, those detention centres are medium security prisons. This is an
unambiguous breach of United Nations' covenants and protocols concerning
the treatment of asylum seekers-agreements to which Australia is a
signatory. These laws mean that some refugees have spent years behind razor
wire fences although they have committed no crime. Some children have known
no other life than that in a detention centre.
At Woomera, there is one phone for over 1400 refugees and in every
detention centre refugees are living in inhuman conditions. Australia is
the only industrialised nation in the world which detains asylum seekers in
such a manner.
Refugees have been subjected to a disgraceful campaign of vilification and
scare-mongering by politicians. Despite the relatively small numbers
(Australia accepts far fewer refugees than many smaller and poorer
nations), terms such as "flood" and tidal wave" have been used to describe
the arrival of refugees by boat. Refugees have been called "illegals", even
though it is legal to request asylum and enjoy protection according to
domestic and international law.
The government minister responsible for refugees has inflamed racist
opinion by falsely suggesting that the refugees are criminals, terrorists
or a health risk to the general public. We are told that the refugees are
"queue jumpers" when if fact there is no queue for people seeking asylum.
The government has said that Australia is considered a "soft touch" for
refugees. In reality, Australia has one of the harshest laws for asylum
seekers in the world. The United Nations, Amnesty International and US
Department of States have condemned the government's treatment of refugees.
Even the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and
Senate legal and Constitutional Committee has stated that the treatment of
refugees "is inconsistent with Australia's human rights obligations."
Refugees should be treated with compassion. The government intends to spend
almost $150 million building and extending detention centres. We believe
this money would be better spent on assistance rather than incarceration.
We are calling on both Liberal and Labor politicians to act to overturn
these discriminatory laws and end the policy of detention and forced
dispersal. Action is urgently needed.
*.. Free the refugees
*.. Full rights, not temporary visas
*.. Funding for settlement, not detention
*.. Stop racist scapegoating
This statement has been endorsed by: Ethnic Communities' Council of
Victoria; Eelam Tamil Association, Socialist Worker, Refugee Action
Collective; and, in a personal capacity, by: Justice Marcus Einfeld; Al
Grassby, Former Immigration Minister; Kate Gilmore, National Director,
Amnesty International Aust.; Charles Chow, Solicitor; Dr Bill Cope, Former
Director, Office of Multicultural Affairs; Dr Andrew Theophanous, MP; and
many others.
The Refugee Action Collective, a group of trade unionists, asylum seekers,
student, political and refugee support groups, intends to publish a
statement of concern at the treatment of asylum seekers, in major
newspapers. We are seeking support for the draft statement above from as
wide a range of individuals and organisations that we can.
If you would like to be a signatory to the statement, would like a speaker
to address your union, or community group or would like more information,
or if you can assist with a donation to help cover the costs of
publication, please contact the Refugee Action Collective by filling out
the form below or phoning 03 9386 4815, or 0418 347 374.
Please email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
NAME.................................PHONE.............
ADDRESS......................EMAIL...................
Return to RAC (Vic), GPO Box 1473N, Melbourne 3001.
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