We cannot celebrate Detained Refugees getting released by the Australian government without guarantee of permanent protection and long term support – The government’s refugee torture and discrimination system is indefinite.
If you are celebrating refugee detainees being “released” from detention centres across Australia today to community detention or given bridging visas, you need to do a proper soul search. If you are a white saviour or non-eX-detainee who is celebrating or self-congratulating yourself for achieving this goal, then do your research on life after detention where eX-detainees are left with no support at all. You should be ashamed at this paltry outcome rather than feeling good about yourself.
RISE eX-detainees demand that the minimum standard of services provided to eX-detainee refugees released today by the government and all those funded to assist them should be as follows:
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Ensure immediate long term health support – regardless of visa status
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Ensure the entire process of visa application has been supported till they get permanent protection and citizenship and provide continued legal and advocacy support with family reunion.
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Education including proper pathway and training programs
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Long term housing with rental assistance and case management
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End detention and end boat turn-backs
To quote eX-detainees’ demand #6 https://www.riserefugee.org/topic/ex-detainees-demands/
“6. WE DEMAND accountability and reparations from governmental and non-governmental agencies and individuals that have created and been a part of the asylum seeker/refugee detention, torture and abuse supply chain. Witnessing the ongoing criminalisation and torture of other refugees and asylum seekers in detention centres adds another layer of trauma which impacts on our mobility everyday both physically and psychologically. Laws should be implemented to stop the detention of asylum seekers and refugees. We must have recognition and memorialisation of the criminal abuse faced by detainees and ex-detainees, as well as deaths in immigration detention centres. Furthermore, steps should be taken to provide additional community and welfare support such as specialist counselling, safety and well-being networks, employment, education and training assistance for eX-detainees in the community and their families. Families of asylum seekers and refugees who died in custody should also be given recognition, compensation and ongoing community and welfare support.”
We know this is another election stunt and we have been the political pawns for the last three decades to win votes for political parties.
RISE eX-detainees
This post was originally published on RISE.