Australia's Mandatory Detention

Media Release 13/9/2011 The Refugee Action Collective condemns Labor’s plan to try and change the Migration Act to make the Malaysian “solution” lawful in the wake of the High Court victory.

We reiterate our demand to end all offshore processing. Asylum seekers should be processed on the mainland, in the community.

There are near one hundred of the world's most impoverished children incarcerated, whether on remand or sentenced, in Australian adult prisons. The brunt of these numbers are in Western Australian adult prisons. It has been confirmed to me by various authorities and by an Indonesian Vice-Consul that at least 16 of the age-disputes are in HAKEA Correctional facility, a maximum security prison which I have visited on a number of occasions over the years. There may be up to 40 age-disputes in Western Australian adult prisons.
Related: Campaign Facebook page -- Interview with Gerry Georgatos on the Drum -- Hadi Kurniawan one of the 100 children in Australian adult prisons

A group of refugee protesters shut down the Melbourne immigration office today, in protest against deporting asylum seekers to Malaysia. The 40 refugee supporters loudly chanted “Refugees are welcome here” and “Not Malaysia, Not Nauru, Gillard we’re talking to you”. Four demonstrators staged a protest inside the immigration department where they gave speeches for 20 minutes before being escorted out of the building.

Human Rights Alliance Press Release: August 19th 2011 The Australian Medical Assocation, following others, such as the UNHCR and the AHRC has supported our calls and our personal witness that Mandatory Detention has grievous traumatic and deleterious impacts and effects upon those whom come before it.