Refugee Network Groups and Australian Public.
RISE a non-profit organisation, has been founded by ex-detainees and refugees and represents over 20 ethnic communities in Australia. As an ex-detainee coalition organisation we urge the Australian public not to fall into the same trap placed by the Howard government in 2001. It is quite clear that the Rudd government’s continuation of some of these discriminatory policies act as a smokescreen for the mishandling of more critical issues that affect this country.
We encourage the public to support this campaign to put an end to mandatory detention and adopt alternative solutions that are legal and ethical. Just and inclusive government policies are important to build a sustainable future for this country. Therefore, it is the duty for all Australian citizens to oppose policies that increase marginalisation and discrimination in society.
In April 2010 Kevin Rudd’s government suspended the processing of refugee visas from the Afghanistan. This contravenes the UN refugee convention that Australia is a party to, and goes against ethical and humane treatment of those who are categorised as refugees and asylum seekers. As former detainees we believe the suspension of visa processing for victims of persecution will not stop them fleeing on a leaky boat or deter people smugglers.
We urge the Australian government to:
- Unfreeze the suspension of Afghan and Tamil asylum seeker claims enforced in April 2010. This suspension goes against various UN conventions that Australia is a party to as well as Australia’s own human rights laws.
- Ensure Australian immigration laws apply equally to all Australian territories-onshore and offshore. The excision of islands in Australian territory from the migration zone and all boat arrivals being processed outside the mainland jurisdiction discriminates against asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia.
- End Mandatory and Arbitrary detention of asylum seekers and consider more effective, humane and legal alternatives. The use of Mandatory and arbitrary detention of asylum seekers as a deterrent to others seeking asylum goes against the UN refugee and human rights conventions. There are more ethical and humane alternatives to detention that have in many cases been proven to also be more effective.
- Make Australia‘s refugee policies part of a global solution for victims of war and persecution. To achieve this, the government should ensure that refugee communities have a more active participatory role in the policy making process.
- Independent bodies such as refugee advocacy groups and humanitarian organisations be part of a more transparent and accountable refugee and humanitarian visa application and settlement process.
Seeking asylum is not a crime and it is a right that is upheld by the laws of this land as well as the UN refugee convention that our country has pledged to support. Yet successive Australian governments in recent times have begun to fundamentally disregard this pledge. People imprisoned in detention centers as a consequence of seeking asylum in Australia include children.
Australia only receives 0.1% from the world refugee population of 11,400,000. Is this a form of Xenophobia or racial discrimination?
These submissions are submitted by RISE (Refugee Survivors and Ex-detainees) to improve asylum seekers rights in International and national Refugee and immigration laws. We believe that the Australian government is bound by it’s obligation as a signatory to the UN refugee convention to protect the rights of victims of war and conflict. The current suspension of the visa process for Afghanis and Sri Lankans and arbitrary offshore detention center policies have tarnished Australia’s image internationally. We encourage people to write to government to create a better future for those fleeing from fear and persecution and give them a fair go.
RISE Video Clip http://vimeo.com/12645390
Media Contacts:-
RISE Admin 0430 007 586 or 03 9639 8623
For more information, contact info@riserefugee.org