MEDIA RELEASE
The federal government’s October 18 announcement gives the impression that families and children will all be released from detention. This impression isn’t accurate.
“While it is better that some children and families will be released from the detention centres, they will still be in detention. The minister’s statement indicates that they will be subject to curfews, regular reporting to authorities and limits as to where they can live,” said Refugee Advocacy Network spokesperson Sue Bolton.
“The government also hasn’t indicated what type of support systems the government will be willing to provide or fund and how much it expects NGOs and church groups to take on,” she said.
The Refugee Advocacy Network queried why the process of letting children out of the detention centres won’t be complete until June 2011. “How many children’s lives will be destroyed behind the razor wire by June next year. We are now hearing reports of teenagers in detention centres self-harming,” added Bolton.
“And now the minister acknowledges that some children will remain in the detention centres for “security reasons” (ABC TV October 19,2010), contradicting his earlier statement about releasing all children from detention centres.”
Besides the children, several thousand people will still locked up in detention centres, including people suffering severe mental trauma and with severe war injuries such as shrapnel wounds.
“The announcement about releasing children and families from detention centres has overshadowed the government’s announcement of a massive expansion of the mandatory detention system. This indicates that the government is entrenching a system of long-term indefinite mandatory detention,” said Bolton.
“New detention centres in Western Australia and South Australia for 1900 people and the expansion of Darwin’s Airport Lodge and the Melbourne Immigration Transit Centre at Broadmeadows indicates that there is no softening in the government’s position towards asylum seekers
“The new detention centre at Inverbrackie in South Australia is reported to be for families. How does that sit with the announcement about getting families and children out of detention?,” she said.
The Refugee Advocacy Network wants mandatory detention ended and a return to the pre-1993 situation when asylum seekers lived and participated in the community while they waited for their claims to be processed. A rally is being organised by RAN to end mandatory detention.
Rally and March
Justice for Refugees: End Mandatory Detention
2pm, Sunday November 7
State Library (Swanston and Latrobe St, City)
Endorsed by: Refugee Advocacy Network, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project, RISE (Refugees, Survivors & Ex-detainees); Justice and International Mission (Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania), Tamil Coordinating Committee, Free Tamil Eelam, Rural Australians for Refugees, Researchers for Asylum Seekers, The Greens, Labor for Refugees, National Tertiary Education Union, Humanitarian Crisis Hub, Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition, Geelong Trades Hall, Ballarat Circle of Friends
For media comment: Sue Bolton 0413-377-978