BACKGROUND INFORMATION
What’s happening to refugees and people seeking asylum who are here In Australia?
• Hundreds of refugees, many with serious medical conditions, are detained indefinitely in detention centres and in hotels. Some of these people have been denied their liberty for over 10 years
• Now with COVID-19, they are at greater risk of infection (and possible death) due to relatively crowded conditions, limited ability to practice social distancing.
• Those in detention include 250 people transferred to Australia under (the now repealed) Medevac legislation remain in detention onshore, and many have not received the treatment they came for.
• Permanent protection is denied for people who arrived by boat after 2013. This means continuing uncertainty and anxiety on temporary visas. These people are denied family reunion rights and are permanently separated from family members.
• Children and their families brought to Australia from Nauru in 2018 are still in community detention. They are not being offered permanent protection – so their uncertainty continues.
• Over 30,000 people are still on Bridging Visas after many years. Many face destitution after the government withdrew basic income support. They don’t get the JobSeeker Allowance and will not get this or any other income support when they lose their jobs because of COVID-19. Some have already had to self-isolate on zero income. Thousands have no access to Medicare, and their children are blocked from going to university.
• The Government is continuing to deport people to danger.
What’s happening for the hundreds of refugees still held in limbo in PNG & Nauru ?
• After 6 years around 400 people are still languishing in Nauru and PNG. The majority have been recognised as refugees by the UNHCR. Most of these people will not be offered resettlement in the US. PNG and Nauru are not offering permanent resettlement.
• Our government still stubbornly refuses to accept New Zealand’s offer to resettle refugees from Nauru and Manus Island.
• In December 2019 the government repealed the Medevac legislation which meant that doctors decided whether people needed to be brought to Australia for medical attention. Now these decisions are back in the hands of politicians and administrators – under similar arrangements several people died due to lack of medical attention.
• Australia continues to turn back boats putting lives at risk and in breach of the UN convention on refugees.
• Australia IS RESPONSIBLE for the long term future of people held In PNG and Nauru, and will be responsible if they are infected by Covid-19. Instead of spending billions prolonging their despair, Australia should bring them here. Give them HOPE and FREEDOM.
Australia has the resources to provide a secure future for people seeking protection and safety.We can provide hope. We can fully welcome refugees.
Our government needs to give REFUGEES and PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM a FAIR GO:
• End the detention of refugees and people seeking asylum
• End offshore processing, mandatory detention, and deportations to danger
• Bring refugees on PNG & Nauru here
• Give refugees permanent protection visas and family reunion rights
• End unfair practices in processing refugee claims, and restore the right to appeal
• Restore truth and transparency in the public discourse and abide by the UN Refugee Convention
Australia has the resources to provide a secure future for people seeking protection and safety. We can provide hope. We can fully welcome refugees.