Australia's Mandatory Detention

Deported Tamil asylum seeker interrogated for 16 hours then released but still in danger

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 27/07/2012 - 6:34pm

Refugee Action Collective Victoria Media Release July 27th 2012 Distraught family members of deported Tamil asylum seeker Mr Dayan Anthony have finally been reunited with him. Anthony was deported on July 25.

Anthony was interrogated for 16 hours after being handed over to the Sri Lankan police intelligence unit (CID) at Colombo airport. During this time, the Sri Lankan police refused to give the family any information.

Geography: 
Global/International
Australia
Keywords: 
Australia's Mandatory Detention
Refugee Action Collective
Tamil asylum seekers

Tamil refugee from the Oceanic Viking attempts suicide overnight

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 14/05/2012 - 5:45pm

RAC Press Release - 14/5/2012 A Tamil man who was on the Oceanic Viking has attempted suicide in Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation in Broadmeadows overnight. Jasee is the third Tamil with a negative ASIO security clearance to try and take his own life this month. Tamils in this situation face a life of indefinite detention, unable to be returned to Sri Lanka as they have been recognised as refugees, but the Immigration Department refuse to release genuine refugees if they have unappealable negative security clearances from ASIO.

Geography: 
Melbourne
Keywords: 
human rights
asylum seeker
Australia's Mandatory Detention
ASIO security clearance
self-harm

Seven refugee protesters from southern cities arrested in Darwin

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/04/2012 - 3:22pm

Media Release 8th April Seven people from several Australian cities were arrested by Northern Territory police for trying to make contact with refugees inside the Wickham Point Detention Centre outside Darwin.

They were out at the remote site to show support to the 500 people locked up there for legally seeking asylum in Australia. The protest occurred the day after a refugee inside Wickham Point tried to commit suicide.

Geography: 
Darwin
Keywords: 
asylum seeker protest
Australia's Mandatory Detention
Darwin Immigration Centre

Man stitches his lips in Broadmeadows Detention Centre

Submitted by Flowerpower on Tue, 14/02/2012 - 4:07pm

Refugee Action Collective Victoria Press Release 14th February 2012 As tentions once again rise at MITA (Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation) in Broadmeadows, an Iranian man, aged 28, stitched his lips up this morning (Monday) as a sign of desperation. He has been detained for 11 months.

Geography: 
Melbourne
Keywords: 
Australia's Mandatory Detention

RRAN media release - 140 children in Leonora - protests and visits and Serco lies

Submitted by Gerry Georgatos on Sun, 29/01/2012 - 8:11am

MEDIA RELEASE

REFUGEE PROTESTERS FIND LONG TERM DETENTION KIDS AT REMOTE LEONORA
DETENTION CENTRE

Around 40 refugee supporters of the Refugee Rights Action Network
(RRAN) travelling to Leonora this weekend have been shocked to
discover children who have been in detention for over a year when they
visited the remote Western Australian detention centre.

Around 140 unaccompanied minors have been moved in recent weeks from
Christmas Island and Darwin to the detention centre. The RRAN
activists have called for the immediate release of the children from
detention.

Geography: 
Western Australia
Keywords: 
Australia's Mandatory Detention

Media Release: Refugee Action Collective condemns Labor putting Nauru on the table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 22/12/2011 - 9:15pm

The Refugee Action Collective (Victoria) condemns any move by the Labor government to put Nauru or any other third country as an option on the table in an attempt to push through offshore, denying the fundamental right to seek asylum. We demand that onshore processing remains policy and that refugees are assisted in arriving to Australia by whatever means necessary. We reiterate our opposition to any form of offshore processing, be it Malaysia, Nauru or anywhere else.

Geography: 
Melbourne
Keywords: 
Australia's Mandatory Detention
Asylum seeker policy

: Refugee Action Collective calls on the government to decriminalise people smuggling

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 19/12/2011 - 7:55pm

Media Release 19th December The Refugee Action Collective (Victoria) is saddened by the news of over 200 asylum seekers who have potentially died at sea on their way to Australia to seek asylum. The Refugee Action Collective also condemns the anti-people smuggling policies of the Gillard Labor government and places them with the blame for the death of possibly over 200 asylum seekers off the coast of Java on Sunday morning.

Geography: 
Victoria
Keywords: 
Australia's Mandatory Detention
Refugee Action Collective
Asylum seeker policy

Gillard & the Australian government directly responsible for the tragic drownings off Java

Submitted by Gerry Georgatos on Sun, 18/12/2011 - 12:09pm

Media release by the Human Rights Alliance Australia owns significant responsibility for yesterday’s tragic sinking of another asylum boat off Java and of the many drownings. Australia should assist in repatriation, counselling and compensation of and for the survivors. The boat was carrying Hazara and Irani refugees. Ms Gillard's push for Indonesia to criminalise those assisting asylum seekers in the passage to our shores is directly responsibly for this sinking and drowning, and for people's desperation.

Neither Indonesia and Australia should be criminalising the seeking of asylum and people should be allowed to map out their journey openly, to travel with various public assistance and in seaworthy boats. The Gillard government has manifest the desperation that gives rise to unseaworthy boats and passage under the cover of the clandestine.
Related:Refugee Action Collective(Vic)Press Release -- Refugee Action Coalition (Sydney)Statement

Geography: 
Global/International
Promotion: 
Feature
Keywords: 
refugees
asylum seekers
Australia's Mandatory Detention
Asylum seeker policy

From Perth Airport - forcible deportation blockaded - Vigil ongoing - Come on out here if you can. UPDATE - two injunctions secured

Submitted by Gerry Georgatos on Mon, 12/12/2011 - 6:19pm

A Tamil person, fearing for his life if returned to Sri Lanka, Emil, was due to be forcibly deported at 2:05pm from Perth International Airport and due to set foot in Sri Lanka at just after midnight (our time - WST). The Federal Magistrates Court in Sydney heard a last minute plea to review his case and an injunction was sought. While this injunction was being sought and heard, government agencies, in their obvious immorality and in many ways their criminality were prepared to deport him.
He has now been taken off the airplane. If he was on the plane while the appeal for an injunction was being heard then this is unbelievable immorality to have had him on the plane.

Confusion asunder at the Perth Domestic Airport Immigration Centre where a vigil has been underway to protect the rights of Emil and Vithuran(due to be forcibly deported tomorrow) - one of them was bundled into a vehicle by SERCO personnel however this vehicle was blocked by six protestors - there were no arrests and after some time SERCO personnel returned the person to the confines of the IDC - it turned out to be Vithuran, who they were obviously relocating in readiness for tomorrow's disgraceful, despicable and inhumane forcible deportation.

UPDATE: 13.12.2011 - The Injunction for Emil was secured late yesterday in the High Court. This morning an Injuction was secured for Vithuran in the High Court -thanks to the RAC Sydney and lawyers - for the time they cannot be deported.

Geography: 
Perth
Keywords: 
Australia's Mandatory Detention