News from our member organisations.
‘We don’t want to go to NARUE’: asylum seekers’ plea letter Crikey media reporter Matthew Knott writes: ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY, CHRISTMAS ISLAND, MANUS ISLAND DETENTION CENTRE, NAURU A group of Hazara asylum seekers, expected to be among the first sent to Nauru for offshore processing, has written an open letter pleading for the government not to deport them to the remote island because of mental health fears. The letter, obtained by Crikey, marks the first time asylum seekers destined for…
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President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Professor Gillian Triggs, has welcomed the efforts of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers to respond to the tragic loss of life at sea. Professor Triggs said the practical recommendations for a regional cooperation and protection framework, and significant increases in resettlement places in Australia for refugees, will contribute to reducing the risk of further maritime disasters. She has urged the government to implement these recommendations as soon as possible. “I am concerned…
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As the great Tom Petty once said, you don’t have to live like a refugee, but one UN agency is hoping you’ll at least download its new app to see what it could be like. My Life as a Refugee is designed to raise awareness about the plight of millions of people living in conflict-ridden places around the globe, and it’s available right now for free on Android (coming soon to iOS). We found the app to be only marginally…
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PUCAK, 22 June 2012 (IRIN) – Refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia, many of whom fled persecution and conflict in their home countries, say they are being driven to get on boats for Australia out of frustration with the resettlement process. “It’s been two years that I have been here. How long am I supposed to wait?” asked Liaqat Ali Yousufi, 32, an ethnic Hazara from Afghanistan’s eastern Ghazni Province, who was registered as a refugee in November 2011 and…
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Approximately 1300 people turned out to the Melbourne 2012 World Refugee Day rally held June 17. The rally began at Parliament House and heard speeches from Aunty Diane Kerr, traditional owner; Jessie Taylor, Human rights lawyer; Godrey Yoganathan, Tamil refugee; Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens senator; John Gulzari, Hazara refugee; Yustin Papuana Motte, West Papuan refugee and Louise Connor, state secretary, Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance. There were also performances by the Future of Rap and The Conch. The theme of the…
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