Detention centres at crisis point, far too much access being denied

Media release by the Human Rights Alliance
Gerry Georgatos, Convener

The Human Rights Alliance is calling for a Senate Inquiry into the treatment of our Asylum Seekers. We are also calling for demarcated Investigators to enter Detention Centre facilities and inspect and report in the public interest on the condition of our Asylum Seekers, on whether there are adequate medical and psychological attention, and to report the extent of self harm and attempted suicides.

We understand from leaked information that there have been more than 260 incidents of self harm at Christmas Island's Detention Centre in the month of April alone. We ask the media to ask DIAC and Serco whether this is true. We ask that where permissible records in regards to incidences of self harm and attempted suicides from January to May be presented to the media and appropriate human rights advocacy agencies and advocates.

Demarcated independent reporting should be implemented.

The HRA is concerned as to what promises are being made by DIAC to Asylum Seekers who protest, go on hunger strikes, who exercise their human right to conscientious objection and civil disobedience. The HRA is concerned as to whether these promises will be fulfilled. These promises by DIAC need to be reported and independently monitored as to minimise future tensions.

At Christmas Island Detention Centre, yesterday, Sixty Minutes' Liam Bartlett and Children out of Detention (Chilout) advocates were denied their visits. Unfettered access where visitor application protocols have been fulfilled must not be reneged. This has now become a common occurrence, a pattern of inappropriate behaviour by Serco and DIAC, this is impropriety.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/9382555/spy-in-sky-over-is...

Nearly seven thousand Asylum Seekers are being mandatorily detained for prolonged, and indefinite, periods in Australian detention. This is a breach of UN Conventions and the denial of a suite of human and legal rights to our Asylum Seekers. This unnecessary detention of people in overcrowded conditions, in facilities which are like prisons has led to protests and hunger strikes, self harm, suicide attempts and suicide at the remote Curtin Detention Centre, protests and deaths at Darwin and Villawood Detention Centres, and to teargas and bean-bag bullets being fired upon Asylum Seekers detained at Christmas Island Detention Centre and at Villawood. Unless the Commonwealth acts promptly with due regard to the rights of our Asylum Seekers we believe that there will be en masse riots, unnecessary suffering and trauma, and the loss of further lives.

"Australia has one of the world's worst deaths in custody records. Immediate bona fide inquiries into the deaths of the Afghani youths who have died this year at Scherger and Curtin Detention Centres must take place. Similarly the four Detention Centre Deaths during 2010 must be adequately reviewed and investigated. These poor souls' deaths may be found to have been the result of Australia's harsh and illegal mandatory detention policies and Australia's subsequent labourious and untimely handling of refugee visa applications. The Commonwealth maybe culpable and therefore liable to these people's families and to all our Asylum Seekers."
Gerry Georgatos, PhD (Law) researcher in Australian Deaths in Custody.

"To ensure fairness and a civil and just society, and to expedite the journey for the elimination of discrimination and racism, and remove the pall of dark aspersions we must build an Inspectorate that can expeditiously investigage all complaints and matters relating to Australian Immigration Detention. By so doing we could possibly end indefinite mandatory detention."

Gerry Georgatos, PhD (Law) researcher in Australian Deaths in Custody.

"It is appalling that the Commonwealth continues to detain a small number of people, several thousand, in overcrowded conditions at great expense to the nation and by so doing has created a false perception that we have a flood of Asylum Seekers when we have less than a trickle. The Commonwealth's handling of our Asylum Seekers and their illegal creation of mandatory detention, which the Labor Party began in 1992 has given further cause to the enshrining of discrimination and racism, historical and contemporary."

Gerry Georgatos, PhD (Law) researcher in Australian Deaths in Custody.

"If we do not act promptly in working expeditiously and humanely with our Asylum Seekers, and with the evident background for increasing self harm, mental despair, suicides, protests and hunger strikes, we will endure unbeknown tragedies and violence and deaths on our horizons. The Commonwealth Government must heed of the warning signs and recent tensions and events. TPVs and deporting people are not answers and will not escalate the violence and deaths that no one wants."
Gerry Georgatos, PhD (Law) researcher in Australian Deaths in Custody.

The Human Rights Alliance calls for urgent Senate Inquiries. The Human Rights Alliance calls upon the Commonwealth and upon the Liberal Party to revisit their discriminatory and inhumane Asylum Seekers policies. The Human Rights Alliance calls upon the Greens to demonstrate greater resolve than they thus far have shown to end mandatory detention and hence to save people from unwarranted suffering and from the risk of self harming and dying in Australian Immigration Custody. THE HUMAN RIGHTS ALLIANCE

Gerry Georgatos, Convener of The Human Rights Alliance

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