Media Alliance calls for better access to asylum seekers

MEAA Press Release July 26th 2011 The Media Alliance has written to the minister for immigration, Chris Bowen, and the minister for home affairs, Brendan O’Connor, calling on them to re-examine the guidelines under which journalists are allowed access to asylum seeker detention centres and detainees, and to review the policy for releasing footage of incoming asylum seeker vessels.

In letters on behalf of the Australia’s Right to Know coalition, the Alliance voiced the concerns of several journalist members about the difficulty they face in gaining access to Australian centres in order to compile news reports, with their requests routinely refused, and television cameras banned from the facilities. It has emerged that Serco, the private contractor which runs some of the centres, now includes the unauthorised presence of journalists in its list of “critical” threats.

In a letter to the immigration minister, Alliance federal secretary Christopher Warren said: “The operation of detention centres in Australia is a subject of considerable public interest as is the condition and treatment of asylum seekers who are detained there. In the interests of transparency journalists must be allowed access to these centres and must be given every assistance in compiling their reports.”

A letter to Brendan O’Connor called on him to re-examine the policy for releasing footage of incoming refugee vessels, or “Suspected Illegal Entry Vessels” (SIEVs), following complaints about the seeming unavailability of up-to-date footage or images of the vessels. A recent item on ABC’s Media Watch said footage of only two craft has been released over the past three years, despite the fact that more than 200 boats have arrived in that period.

Christopher Warren said: “The arrival of boats containing asylum seekers is one of the most important issues currently before the Australian public. It is essential to the health of this debate that the people are allowed to see for themselves the condition of the vessels and their passengers.”

http://www.alliance.org.au/alliance_calls_for_better_access_to_asylum_se...