Category: Statement

27 February 2021

Saturday 27 February 2021 marks one full year that 15 men, women and children have been imprisoned in the Mercure Hotel at Darwin Airport, after seven years exiled on Nauru.

Refugee Action Collective (Victoria) stands in solidarity with the families in Darwin and supports their fight for freedom. We condemn their cruel and unnecessary detention and demand that the Australian government immediately release these families and all refugees in detention and provide effective support and permanent protection as people rebuild their lives.

The four families were transferred to Australia for medical treatment, but have not received proper care. In an open letter, health professionals have called for the Department of Home Affairs and the Federal Government to release the families, stating that: “The health (inclusive of the psychosocial wellbeing) of these 15 individuals is not an exchangeable commodity but is amongst the inalienable human rights of all people.

“Indefinite detention in conditions below that of the minimum expected standard of living, without access to appropriate healthcare, is destructive to the psychological and physical health of human beings.”

One of the 15 refugees detained in Darwin is Hajar Maghames, who fled Iran with her mother, father and brother. Speaking to Refugee Voices, Maghames said: “We ask ourselves, why? Why do we have to suffer in this terrible situation for no crime, no reason? Who will answer? How can we return to good health with the physical and mental issues we now have? What is most important to me now is freedom.”

The Mercure Hotel at Darwin Airport is owned by Accor Group, which also operates the Mantra Bell City Hotel in Melbourne, where more than 60 men were detained for more than a year.

In 2020, RAC (Vic) convened an open letter signed by more than 250 people – including parliamentary and trade union leaders, human rights defenders, international lawyers, community advocates and people seeking asylum – calling on international Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin to put a stop to “the participation of the Mantra and Mercure hotels in the indefinite detention of refugees and asylum-seekers”.

Although the Mantra detention contract has ended, the ongoing use of the Darwin Mercure as a prison shows that nothing has changed in the Accor Group’s willingness to participate in and profit from the imprisonment of innocent people.

The Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS) has called for a boycott of the hotel chain, with NTCOSS CEO Deborah Di Natale saying: “Until the Mercure takes a stand against the cruel detention happening alongside its premises, we must take a stand against the Mercure.”

Refugees and supporters are holding daily vigils at the Mercure at 5pm, with larger protests on Saturdays. RAC (Vic) calls for others to join these protests or support them remotely by contacting the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network (DASSAN) via Facebook @DassanNT, on Twitter @DASSAN12, or on Instagram @freetheDarwin15.

RAC (Vic) is participating in the National Day of Protest on Friday 5 March, calling for an end to the indefinite and arbitrary detention of all refugees. There will be actions around the country, with the protest in Melbourne from 6pm at the State Library.

RAC activist Chris Breen appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 10 February, charged with incitement.

Police and Chris had given evidence at the first day of the hearing on 27 January. This time it was the turn of Mostafa Azimitabar (Moz) to give evidence.

The case was adjourned until 10am on Wednesday 17 March when lawyers for the prosecution and defence will make legal arguments.

Join the solidarity speak-out on 17 March.

Find out more about the case.

8 January 2021

RAC takes the pandemic seriously: we are well aware of the threat COVID-19 has posed, in particular to refugees in detention. We will do everything we can to minimise risk at the rally to free the Medevac refugees at 2pm this Saturday 9 January at the State Library.

We will encourage social distancing and the spreading out of attendees. We require masks to be worn, and will provide them free on the day. We will provide hand sanitiser and QR registration codes.

We note that around 13,000 people watched Melbourne Victory vs Brisbane Roar on 2 January and that there are no absolute limits on crowds indoors in the casino, strip clubs or shopping centres, only density requirements. There is no reason that people rallying for refugee rights should be more restricted.

Victoria has now had two days in a row of zero COVID-19 cases (from almost 60,000 tests), reducing the level of risk. The level of risk posed by outdoor events such as rallies is less than indoors – Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has acknowledged the risk is 20 times less outdoors. We will also be wearing masks.

The risk from continuing indefinite detention to refugees is not small. One in two people in the MITA detention centre in Broadmeadows have self-harmed or attempted suicide. The figure is one in five in the detention hotels. A few days after refugees were forcibly moved to the Park Hotel one man tried to jump off the roof. More than half of refugees held offshore have diagnosable mental illnesses caused by detention. Thirteen people have died offshore. Every day refugees mental and physical health deteriorates in detention.

Refugees themselves are more at risk of COVID-19 than the general population. They have been left unable to properly protect themselves from COVID-19 in detention and the fear of the pandemic has further eroded their mental health. Outside detention, refugees are denied JobKeeper or JobSeeker, making them especially vulnerable. Despite all these difficulties refugees continue to demand their freedom and security, and ask for our solidarity.

The pandemic has not stopped the Coalition’s cruelty to refugees. Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton get lies about refugees into the media on a regular basis. Protest is the voice of refugees in detention. Protest is the voice of the refugee solidarity movement outside of detention, it is often how we get coverage of refugee issues in the media. The refugee movement is the opposition to the Coalition on refugees and we will not let our voice fall silent.

The people imprisoned in the Park Hotel are all recognised refugees. They were brought here for treatment but have received punishment instead.

As Moz, a refugee detained for seven and a half years, first on Manus and now in the Park Hotel has said:

The government hides the reality from people. I want people to see clearly what the Australian government is doing. I want them to see that the government is torturing us.

I think we will be free when thousands of people come into the streets. I don’t believe we’ll be freed by the people who have kept us in cages for years. That doesn’t make any sense to me. I believe I will get my freedom from the people.

We encourage all refugee supporters to rally at the State Library at 2pm on Saturday 9 January and march with us to the Park Hotel, to demand freedom and permanent resettlement in Australia for the refugees held there.

https://www.facebook.com/events/147172496962712

Police say they will fine refugee supporters $5000 each if they stand in pairs, 1.5 metres apart and wearing masks, outside the Mantra Bell City hotel.

RAC had planned to organise a series of COVID-safe gatherings, an hour apart, on Saturday 3 October to protest a Federal Government Bill that would deprive refugees and asylum-seekers in detention of their mobile phones.

RAC had also planned a media conference, which police say would also attract fines.

The in-person event has now been cancelled. RAC is considering ways in which the media conference might proceed.

Read our media release.

14 September 2020

Refugee Action Collective in Victoria (RAC Vic) expresses its solidarity with refugees and migrants who have been devastated and displaced after fires ripped through Europe’s largest refugee camp at Moria, on the Greek island of Lesbos last week.

Refugees at the camp were left to run in panic after a fire broke out. It is unknown how the fire started. The camp has since been burned down leaving 13,000 men, women and children without shelter, with many left to sleep on the road.

On Friday 11 September, news reports stated that migrants and refugees protested in front of police barriers holding signs calling for “freedom” and “no camp”, with Greek police responding by firing tear gas at protestors.

Before the fires began, 13,000 refugees at the camp had already faced months of extreme overcrowding, unhealthy conditions such as lack access to medical care, water, sanitation and pandemic information. The camp has been impacted by COVID-19, with several refugees testing positive for the virus.

Refugee Action Coalition Sydney showed their support at the Greek Consulate with members of the Greek community in Sydney on Saturday 12 September. From the RAC Sydney Facebook page, they issued their support saying: “ Solidarity with the Moria refugees. Today progressive members of the Greek community joined with members of RAC outside the Greek Consulate in Sydney. There will be pro-refugee protests across Europe, including in Athens, later today.”

We echo these statements and those of protestors in Greece and in other parts of Europe who are mobilising in solidarity with refugees and migrants. 3000 protesters in Germany are calling on their own government and countries across the EU to accept all refugees from the Moria refugee camp. Refugee rights supporters are demanding refugees and migrants be immediately transported to the Greek mainland, to be able to safely access asylum and housing.

We stand in support and call for refugees all around the world, including in Australia and at the Moria camp, to be welcomed to safety and permanent protection in the community.

30 July 2020

The Refugee Action Collective in Melbourne expresses its solidarity with the seven fined Black Lives Matter protesters in Sydney who were fined $1000 each on 28 July for demanding justice for David Dungay Jr.  

It is outrageous that Prime Minister Scott Morrison can join crowds at the NRL, where 10,000 are allowed, but a socially distanced protest of hundreds is shut down. It is also worth noting that an anti-CCP protest of close to 100 at the Chinese consulate in Sydney was allowed to take place the day before. 

The vitriol directed against the Black Lives Matter protests from politicians, police and media has been an attack on anti-racism and the right to protest, not about concern for public health. 

Police in NSW and Federal Coalition Minister Greg Hunt have tried to blame the Black Lives Matter protest for Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19. But this is ridiculous. Not only is there no evidence for any transmission from the BLM protests in Australia, but it is widely acknowledged across the political spectrum in Victoria that the second wave came from COVID-19 leaking from the quarantine hotels for returned Australian travellers. 

RAC has similarly come under attack for safe forms of protest, with 30 refugee supporters fined a total of $50,000 and one person charged with incitement for a car convoy protest drawing attention to the threat of COVID-19 for refugees held in detention.  

The racism that has seen no one held accountable for the killing of David Dungay Jr is the same racism that sees refugees locked up in dangerous conditions, unable to socially distance or protect themselves against COVID-19. 

RAC-Vic supports the right to protest during the pandemic. We call for the dropping of all fines against the Black Lives Matter protesters in Sydney.