On Friday, Prime Minister Rudd announced that all asylum seekers who arrive by boat will be sent to Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement – regardless of whether they're found to have a legitimate claim for asylum.
Whether you abhor or reluctantly support it, there's no denying what this policy means: detaining asylum seekers in tents on a malarial island off the coast of an impoverished, violence-ridden state. We are sending refugees to a country Australia has actually sheltered refugees from. GetUp have spoken directly to children and families inside the Manus Island detention centre, which Mr Rudd plans to expand, who have told us about the conditions there.
Many of us are looking for information free from the political rhetoric of Mr Rudd and Mr Abbott – and looking for what we can do to make this situation less horrid. We'll be in touch with more you can do in coming days and weeks. Here are two ways to make a difference now:
1 - Email or call your local MP and Senator today. What they hear from the community now is of huge influence, and there's so much we need to fight for now.Here's what's at stake in coming weeks
- Will the Government pay for this policy by reducing Australia's foreign aid?
- Will we address the inhumane conditions asylum seeker children and families are being held in?
- Will the Government increase Australia's humanitarian intake of approved refugees?
2 - Share and discuss these 5 key facts with friends and family. Friday's announcement - and the last ten years - show that we can't have a more compassionate and sensible policy on asylum seekers until we change the national conversation. We can't rely on our political leaders to do that. It's up to all of us to bring facts and fairness back to this debate.
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