Category: Media release

Cavalcade protest is safe, detention centres are not – Free the refugees

 “The Refugee Action Collective (RAC) was due to have a car cavalcade protest today at the Mantra hotel in Preston, calling for the release of refugees held there and across Australia, on public health and humanitarian grounds” said Chris Breen for the Refugee Action Collective

“However RAC was told by Preston police that our proposed protest ‘would breach stay at home directions and therefore be illegal’. Police said we faced fines of $1652 for every person who took part, plus heavier fines for RAC as the organising group. We have now rescheduled our protest for Good Friday at 2pm. If refugees remain under threat of Covid-19, we will support them by defying anti-protest laws safely.”

Breen continued “Our protest will be completely safe, it is the detention centres that are unsafe. Our cavalcade will have a maximum of two people per car (from the same household). No-one will get out of their cars. Our protest will be safer than going shopping, safer than travelling on public transport, safer than non-essential work that continues, and safer by an order of magnitude than being stuck in a sealed corridor in the Mantra.”

“Refugees in the Mantra hotel have come to Australia under the Medevac legislation and many have health conditions that make them vulnerable to Covid-19. Airline staff stay regularly at the Mantra in Preston. Serco guards come and go regularly and have been shown multiple times breaching social distancing regulations. A Serco guard in Brisbane tested positive for Covid-19. Activity areas in the Mantra do not have space for social distancing. Men sleep up to 3 to a room in the Mantra. It is only a matter of time before coronavirus devastates detention centres.”

“Over 1200 doctors have signed a letter calling for the release of refugees from detention. Over 38,000 people have signed a petition calling for the release of refugees from detention. ALP federal MPs Ged Kearney and Peter Khalil have called for the release of refugees in the Mantra, and income support for those in the community (speech from Ged Kearney sent to RAC for the cavalcade is attached)”

“The Refugee Action Collective calls on Premier Daniel Andrews to join those calls and not to use Covid-19 to shut down safe public protest. Daniel Andrews should use public health powers to release the refugees to safe accommodation in Victoria. The health of all Victorians would be compromised by a serious outbreak of Covid-19 in detention centres or alternative places of detention in Victoria.”

“RAC has rescheduled the cavalcade for Friday April 10 (Good Friday). We intend to have a safe public show of  solidarity with refugees, even if that means defying the banning of safe public protest. “

“Refugees themselves continue to protest. Refugees at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane will protest today at 5pm. There is a picture below of refugees at the Mantra protesting yesterday (3/4/20)” concluded Breen

For further comments call Chris Breen from the Refugee Action Collective on 0492 910 302

Hundreds of Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) and Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV) holders, and protection visa applicants, from around Australia will converge on Canberra to hold a protest on the lawns of Parliament House, on Monday 29 July, from 10.00am-11.30 am. The protest will move to the UN headquarters between 1.30 – 2.00pm.  

There are around 30,000 TPV and SHEV holders and applicants living in the community in Australia, facing increasing hardship due to the long delays in processing applications and the restrictions on the temporary refugee visas, that deny family reunion, the right to travel, and are only valid for three and five years (respectively) before they are re-assessed from scratch.

Thousands are still in limbo; some having arrived in Australia since in 2012 are still waiting for the protection claims to be assessed.

Between 1999 and 2007, approximately 11,000 TPVs were issued, and approximately 90 per cent of TPV holders eventually gained permanent visas. But, since 2014, government legislation prevents refugees gaining permanent visas.

Government policy has created a permanent underclass of refugees in Australian society vulnerable to exploitation, while they denied family reunion and the right to travel.

The TPV, SHEV and protection visa applicants are descending on Canberra to put their case for urgent change to the government, to the Parliament, and to the UN.

For more information: contact Ian Rintoul, 0417 275 713

Samir Kafaji, Iraqi Affairs Association Victoria, 0431 099 338 

Conditions are reaching breaking point on Manus Island. This morning, Monday 24 June, two incidents of self-harm within hours have set the scene for another day of the Manus mental health crisis.

One refugee who has swallowed a nail clipper, around 6.30am has been taken to the local hospital, although guards initially refused to transport him there because the hospital is overcrowded. A few hours later, an asylum seeker who has been refusing food for several days, has slashed his head.

Yesterday, Sunday 23 June, there were another five incidents of self-harm in Manus and Port Moresby, including two on Manus Island.

The night before that (Friday 21 June), Ravi, the 31 year-old Indian asylum seeker who set fire to himself and his room, along with two other Manus refugees were transferred from Manus to the intensive care unit of Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby.

The number of self-harm and attempted suicides in Manus and Port Moresby grows by the day.  There are around 14 people being held in the Shamrock Compound on Manus Island following suicide attempts or self-harm incidents. (Attached is a photograph of one of the self-harm casualties being transported from Hillside camp on Saturday 22 June.)

But, the reported self-harm incidents are only the tip of the iceberg as many others exhibiting the symptoms of ‘resignation syndrome’ are refusing food and water, and  do not com out of their rooms, as they withdraw from social contact of any sort.

“Manus is reaching a new crisis point,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, “ The suicide attempts and constant level of self-harm is creating an intolerable situation for the refugees themselves who are left to struggle to deal with the daily toll inside the compounds on Manus.

The tensions in the refugee compounds across Manus are reaching breaking point as the refugee population struggles to cope.

“Every one of fears that we are reaching breaking point. It’s like that in every compound,” one of the Manus refugees told the Refugee Action Coalition.

“Rather than ramping up the political rhetoric, in his effort to curry support to repeal the Medevac bill, Peter Dutton should be getting people who need medical help off Manus Island and Nauru. While Dutton peddles more myths about refugees declining resettlement in the US, he is wilfully ignoring those who need urgent help,” said Ian Rintoul.

For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713.

Refugee Action Coalition

A 31 year old Indian asylum seekers has set fire to himself and his room at the Hillside Compound on Manus Island, around 1.00 pm today (Friday 21 June). Photos of the fire in the Hillside compound and video clip is attached of police and immigration officers extinguishing the fire in Hillside compound.

It is understood that the asylum seeker has suffered burns to his face and hands and has been taken to the POH clinic at the East Lorengau compound.

His attempted self-immolation is the latest of a growing number of self-harm and suicide attempts on Manus Island. There are now over 95 such incidents involving over 62 asylum seekers and refugees.

“While the Home Affairs minister spends his time arguing to repeal the Medevac Bill, the situation on Manus spins out of control,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition. “Rather than point the finger at ‘advocate doctors’, he should be getting those who need help off Manus and Nauru. While the Minister spends his time politicking, and spreading more lies about women and others who need urgent medical help, the shocking toll of offshore detention grows worse day by day.

“Dutton has admitted the US deal will fall far short of providing enough resettlement places for those being held on Manus and Nauru. It has always been up to Australia to provide protection for those who sought protection in 2013. Now they need to bring them all here.”

For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713

“Two Serco employees received interim intervention orders at the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court against Ali Yousuf an Iraqi refugee detained indefinitely in MITA detention centre on 01/03/2019. Several months later one of them, who is part of Serco’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), strip searched Ali as he went to celebrate the end of Eid on June 4.” said Chris Breen for the Refugee Action Collective

“Ali complained to the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court, and as a result of a hearing today, he now has an interim intervention order against the ERT guard. The order prevents the guard going from within 5m of Ali – which rules the guard out from many areas, including control rooms that have cameras that can observe Ali.”

Breen continued “Shortly after the court decision Ali says that Australian Border Force (ABF) told him he would be moved to another detention centre, something he has requested all along. Ali is requesting to go to Perth to be near his sick mother. ABF must not play games and move him anywhere other than Perth.”

“Separately police also interviewed Ali at MITA on June 4 about an old Facebook post, which Ali says they soon realised was not posted by himself. Ali says that while there police refused to take a statement from him about the alleged assault by Serco ERT guards that broke his hand.”

“The Refugee Action Collective calls for a full, impartial and open investigation into Serco and ABF abuse of detainees in detention, including the alleged assault of Ali which broke his hand.“

“Ali should be set free as the Federal Court ordered on December 8, 2017” concluded Breen

For further comment or to be put in touch with Ali directly, call Chris Breen from the Refugee Action Collective on 0403 013 183

There have been two more cases, one of attempted suicide and one of serious self-harm, involving refugees in Port Moresby overnight.

In the early hours of Monday morning ((3 June), one 30 year old Somali refugee attempted to hang himself off the balcony of the Granville Motel, while a 31 year-old Iranian refugee has badly self–harmed. Both have been taken to the Pacific International Hospital. Their condition is not known. (Around 50 refugees are housed under guard in Granville Motel while they wait for medical treatment at the Pacific International Hospital. Many have been waiting for months without treatment.)

This brings the total number of attempted suicides and incidents of self-harm on Manus and in Port Moresby to well over 30, since the federal election on 18 May.

Two people who attempted suicide on Manus were transferred from Manus to Port Moresby last week. Meanwhile the local Lorengau hospital on Manus Island, has sent all suicide and self-harm victims back to their respective refugee compounds because they needed the beds for local patients. Two suicidal guys are in Shamrock compound.

There is no care or supervision in either the refugee camps or Shamrock (a low-level security compound), where one refugee attempted to hang himself last week.

“The situation on Manus continues to spiral downwards,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, “Yet the government has no resettlement plan for those illegally held on Manus for almost six years.”

“The Australian government continues to persecute people that have been found to be owed international protection. Only 40 people have been transferred from Manus and Nauru for medical treament since the Medevac Bill became law in February.  There is an urgent need for the medical transfer of all those who are at risk on Manus and Nauru.”

For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
Refugee Action Coalition

The local Lorengau hospital is turning away refugee cases of self-harm and attempted suicide as the numbers being brought to the hospital continue to rise.

Local nurses are saying that the hospital cannot cope and that PIH (Pacific International Hospital), the medical service providers that run a GP clinic in one of the refugee compounds) is not doing enough to help.

At least six cases have been brought to the Lorengau hospital in the last 24 hours. One Iraqi asylum seeker in Hillside compound attempted to hang himself around 1.00am, Wednesday morning, but was cut down by a local guard.

Four of the self-harm cases involve refugees swallowing razor blades, and needles. One has badly slashed his head.

There have been over 23 cases of self-harm or attempted suicide on Manus (and more cases in Port Moresby, including some among those already hospitalised there) since the federal election on 18 May.

“While the government continues politicking with threats to move to repeal the Medivac Bill, Manus is being overwhelmed. After almost six years, the despair of indefinite detention has become too much,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, “The urgent medical and mental health cases need to be immediately evacuated to Australia, as the first step in finally closing Manus and Nauru.”

The Refugee Action Coalition is holding a protest/speak-out Friday, 31 May, 5.30pm, Sydney Town Hall, to highlight the situation on Manus, oppose the repeal of the Medivac Bill and call for all those on Manus and Nauru to be brought to Australia.

For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713.
Refugee Action Coalition