RAC Press Release 17th May 2011 The Refugee Action Collective (Victoria) condemns false, misleading and sensationalist reporting from The Herald Sun especially in the case of a piece from Anne Wright titled: 'Asylum seekers pretending to be teenagers for faster processing' posted online on Monday, May 16.
"The Herald Sun is deliberating stoking racism and whipping up lies about asylum seekers in order to make a political issue out of what is in reality a tiny number of boat arrivals compared to arrivals by plane," said Refugee Action Collective (Victoria) spokesperson Benjamin Solah.
Nicole Mousely from the Refugee Action Collective (Victoria) has been visiting detainees in the Broadmeadows Detention Centre and sheds light on the real issues.
"Asylum seekers are given wrist x-rays to help authorities determine their age but this is problematic as people growing up in third world countries who have grown up with war, poor nutrition, and have had to work labour intensive jobs from very young, age incredibly rapidly. If asylum seekers live in remote areas their births are often not registered and birthdays are not celebrated in their home countries.
"Dates of birth are often allocated by authorities, which is why they are all very similar (ie. end of the year, or beginning of the year). If there are people over the age of 18 in a facility for minors, let's look at the case managers working on their files."
RAC Victoria are intensely concerned for the safety of minors that have been held with adults after being moved from Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation in Broadmeadows. There have numerous reports of sexual assault inside detention that Serco have inadequately dealt with.
"Instead of demonising asylum seekers, let's look at the incompetent handling of their cases and the lack of consideration given to appropriate interpreters/translators by DIAC. Mistakes in age and other details are a common occurrence. Instead of reporting the serious issues such as the department endangering the life of a young asylum seeker, trashy reporters focus on whipping up fear and racism with sensationalist rubbish about whether or not someone is under or over 18, and if they're jumping the fence for McDonald's! What a random comment!
"Indefinite detention in a low security facility, such as the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation Centre is STILL detention. Young asylum seekers and refugees in this centre have still spent more than 12 months imprisoned for something that is their human right: seeking asylum from persecution. The time for processing cases is actually taking so long that asylum seekers who entered this country at the age of 16-17 can be 18-19 by the time they make it through the system, removing their right to apply for their parents to join them here. I've said this before and I'll say it again, whether they're 7, 17, or 27 the policy of indefinite mandatory detention is barbaric, inhumane, and in breach of several UN conventions."