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Weekly refugee posting
Nov. 2nd, 2013 09:02 pmDuring November, my Internet access will be inconsistent. Spot something you think is important? If you could leave a link for me in the comments or email it to me at korman@spamcop.net, I'd be very grateful!
The Human Rights Law Centre in Melbourne has found that the government underestimates the danger to asylum seekers returned to Sri Lanka, with whose government ours has an agreement about those pesky dissidents. Australia has begun talks with Iran about the involuntary return of asylum seekers whose applications are rejected.
The Immigration Department's annual report mentions the deaths of five people in detention in the last financial year, which would include at least one asylum seeker, Meqdad Hussain, who took his own life. Since no tally of suicide and self-harm in immigration detention is kept, so this is not a statement of the number of people who have died from self-harm, suicide, or inadequate medical care. A hopeful note: the annual report states that the Department intends to comply with the Ombudsman's recommendations for reducing self-harm and suicide attempts in detention.
When Parliament resumes session on 12 November, the Greens will move to prevent the incumbent government from reintroducing Temporary Protection Visas. Refugees on TVPs cannot bring their families to safety and risk being sent back. As you may imagine, with what might be waiting for them at home, uncertainty is notoriously damaging to refugees' health. If your local MP is a Labor Party member, email them with your views, or email the Shadow Immigration Minister, Richard Marles.
Detainees in Darwin have apparently been punished for talking to the media by being sent to Christmas Island. Both this, and the detainee's claims of poor detention conditions on Christmas Island (overcrowding, hours-long waits for meals, too few toilets) have been denied by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison. (More about this from DASSAN.)
Also in Darwin, as reported in the Guardian, prison company SERCO has acknowledged a complaint that its staff members have been addressing detainees by numbers, including children.
Two refugees in indefinite detention due to an adverse security assessments have attempted suicide.
Frighteningly, Indonesian people smugglers are offering to transport asylum seekers in locked shipping containers.
The guvmint states that no boats arrived in the past week.
The Press Council of Australia has recommended that the media avoid the misleading term "illegals".
A report has found that the detention centre on Christmas Island has been a mixed blessing for locals.
ETA: An independent review has not substantiated many of the claims about the sexual abuse of young male detainees at Manus Island. Let's hope the review (available in "highly redacted" form at the Department's site) is accurate in its findings.
ETA: Two unaccompanied teenage boys, one of whom has attempted self-harm, are being kept separate from other male detainees on Manus Island, effectively in isolation.
On Nauru, only one asylum seeker's claim has been processed in an entire year. More than sixty applicants who have been waiting on Nauru for a year have been flown to Australia and told their applications will be restarted here. Refugees who have already been recognised continue to be detained on Nauru for months after their successful applications.
ETA: Indonesia may reconsider its cooperation with Australia over people smuggling due to the revelation that we've been spying on them.
The Human Rights Law Centre in Melbourne has found that the government underestimates the danger to asylum seekers returned to Sri Lanka, with whose government ours has an agreement about those pesky dissidents. Australia has begun talks with Iran about the involuntary return of asylum seekers whose applications are rejected.
The Immigration Department's annual report mentions the deaths of five people in detention in the last financial year, which would include at least one asylum seeker, Meqdad Hussain, who took his own life. Since no tally of suicide and self-harm in immigration detention is kept, so this is not a statement of the number of people who have died from self-harm, suicide, or inadequate medical care. A hopeful note: the annual report states that the Department intends to comply with the Ombudsman's recommendations for reducing self-harm and suicide attempts in detention.
When Parliament resumes session on 12 November, the Greens will move to prevent the incumbent government from reintroducing Temporary Protection Visas. Refugees on TVPs cannot bring their families to safety and risk being sent back. As you may imagine, with what might be waiting for them at home, uncertainty is notoriously damaging to refugees' health. If your local MP is a Labor Party member, email them with your views, or email the Shadow Immigration Minister, Richard Marles.
Detainees in Darwin have apparently been punished for talking to the media by being sent to Christmas Island. Both this, and the detainee's claims of poor detention conditions on Christmas Island (overcrowding, hours-long waits for meals, too few toilets) have been denied by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison. (More about this from DASSAN.)
Also in Darwin, as reported in the Guardian, prison company SERCO has acknowledged a complaint that its staff members have been addressing detainees by numbers, including children.
Two refugees in indefinite detention due to an adverse security assessments have attempted suicide.
Frighteningly, Indonesian people smugglers are offering to transport asylum seekers in locked shipping containers.
The guvmint states that no boats arrived in the past week.
The Press Council of Australia has recommended that the media avoid the misleading term "illegals".
A report has found that the detention centre on Christmas Island has been a mixed blessing for locals.
ETA: An independent review has not substantiated many of the claims about the sexual abuse of young male detainees at Manus Island. Let's hope the review (available in "highly redacted" form at the Department's site) is accurate in its findings.
ETA: Two unaccompanied teenage boys, one of whom has attempted self-harm, are being kept separate from other male detainees on Manus Island, effectively in isolation.
On Nauru, only one asylum seeker's claim has been processed in an entire year. More than sixty applicants who have been waiting on Nauru for a year have been flown to Australia and told their applications will be restarted here. Refugees who have already been recognised continue to be detained on Nauru for months after their successful applications.
ETA: Indonesia may reconsider its cooperation with Australia over people smuggling due to the revelation that we've been spying on them.
