A candlelight vigil is planned for Wednesday 18 January outside the Broadmeadows detention centre to support a 33-year-old Iranian asylum seeker who is in the 8th day of a hunger strike. Another Iranian refugee was on hunger strike for three days before calling off his hunger strike after being promised information about his case.
The two men are in detention in the Melbourne immigration Transit Centre (MITA) at Camp Road, Broadmeadows.
Regular visitor to the detention centre and Refugee Action Collective spokesperson Daniella Olea said she met the two men on Saturday 14 January.
“The second Iranian man 32, was given refugee status five months ago and is awaiting security clearance. He ceased his hunger strike after three days after being promised information about his case.”
Other visitors to the detention centre say that they saw one man lying on the ground. He had been there for two days. He told them that “They treat me like animal so I am an animal.”
Olea said” What I witnessed on Saturday was pure desperation. Most of the 70 asylum seekers in MITA have been accepted as refugees by the immigration department but they are either waiting many months for security checks and for the immigration minister to sign their visas.
“The detention centre is at boiling point. People are distraught because they don’t know what is happening with their cases. And they have heard that the immigration department has suddenly dramatically increased the number of Iranian asylum seekers being rejected for refugee status.
“It’s not right that you can be accepted as a refugee and then wait 12 months or more for a security check, and then even if you pass the security check, the minister then takes months to sign your refugee visa. “There are still three minors in detention at Broadmeadows, including one who is detained indefinitely. We call on the Australian government to let these refugees come here, seek asylum and to not be locked up and subject to further trauma,” said Olea
Candlelight vigil: Wednesday 18 January, 7pm.
Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation, Camp Road, Broadmeadows.
Daytime action & photo shoot outside MITA:
Wednesday, January 18, 9am. Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation, Camp Road, Broadmeadows.