dreamer_easy: (refugees)
These damn bookmarks. I just can't keep up. I don't know what else I can do. Let me tell you, if you really want to get a head of steam up about this stuff, read about the Holocaust. You can't parallel the situations directly or simply, in intent or numbers or context. But the individual misery, the bureaucratic horror, the bigotry and cruelty, the visceral outrage - those will be familiar.

500 asylum seekers face deportation for missing protection deadline (GA, 29 September 2017) The sudden tight deadline was, of course, intended to create this situation - to get rid of some of the government's embarrassment by sending people, including families with young children, back to their deaths.

In better news, the Asylum Seekers Resources Centre reports that the movement to #LetThemStay is working: the government has eased back the throttle on its attempt to force asylum seekers back to Nauru and Manus with the threat of homelessness and starvation and sometimes I can't believe I am typing sentences like this why doesn't the Earth fall into the sun right now.

Peter Dutton Is Being Asked To Explain Why He Just Lost His Chief Medical Officer (Buzzfeed News, 15 September 2017). I would like to think Dr John Brayley quit as Australian Border Force's surgeon-general out of shame and embarrassment, perhaps over the death of Hamed Shamshiripour. The problem is: "Brayley's departure effectively leaves asylum seekers and refugees without a medical advocate in the immigration department."

Peter Dutton introduces bill to ban phones from immigration detainees
(GA, 13 September 2017). Purportedly this is to stop detained criminals from organising crimes. "If the minister is concerned about the criminal use of mobile phones then he needs to separate vulnerable individuals who come to Australia for protection from those alleged criminals,' said George Newhouse, human rights lawyer and principal solicitor for the National Justice Project."

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has attacked the decisions of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, which overturned 39% of his decisions in the first four months of this year, and is replacing more than fifty of its members. Meanwhile, the Refugee Review Tribunal made an incredible cockup in the case of a disabled Hazara man.

Syrian, Iraqi refugees' trauma levels 'highest I've seen', says advocate (5 October 2017, 10 am)

Detention no place for kids: Church abuse survivors (Newcastle Herald, 8 June 2015)."We've got vulnerable children being used by our politicians in a game that's about political gain and clinging on to power and authority, and that's completely contrary to what Australia ought to represent."

dreamer_easy: (refugees)
Manus Island refugees offered transfers to Nauru while US resettlement applications processed (ABC, 10 October 2017). Who the hell came up with this one?! Seriously. You might be able to go to the US and safety; say, would you like to go to Nauru instead? The Greens are probably right: this is utter desperation, because Papua New Guinea seems to be saying it refuses to resettle the refugees: PNG tells Australia it can't shut Manus Island detention centre and leave asylum seekers behind (ABC, 25 August 2017)

ETA: from the Combined Refugee Action Group on Facebook, 13 October 2017: "Letter by the men held on Manus Island, to the PNG authorities. The letter contains an attachment of 324 signatures."

Gay detainees on Manus fear for their future (RNZ, 1 September 2017) "Every time a local attacks us, I see death in front of my eyes."

The Tortuous Demise Of Hamed Shamshiripour, Who Didn't Deserve To Die On Manus Island (Huffington Post, 14 August 2017) | What happened to make Hamed go from 'a good guy' to a man to be avoided? (ABC, 19 August 2017)

Manus Island detention centre demolition must stop – detainees' lawyers (GA, 14 August 2017)

Manus Island: Asylum seekers moved to Port Moresby 'for treatment' suspicious of timing (ABC, 30 September 2017) | Manus refugees given ultimatum as Turnbull government comes under pressure (SMH, 30 August 2017) "We are scared ... that they [will] leave us homeless in the street in PNG. That's what they are planning to do, it's just obvious."

Four years on, still a “major or critical” incident nearly every day on Manus - new report finds (Human Rights Law Centre, 19 July 2017)

Imran's story: arriving on Manus was 'one of the most excruciating days in my life' (SMH, 18 July 2017)

A couple of older links:

Australia's Brave Whistleblower Nurse (The New York Times, 20 December 2016). Lynne Elworthy lost her job and risked prison by telling the truth about Manus. "Lynne Elworthy should receive one of Australia’s highest civilian honors. She has stood up for the values of her country against a policy that has dragged those values into a tropical swamp. She has raised her voice when so many have been silent." This op-ed went on to quote Hannah Arendt and break my heart: "Under conditions of terror, most people will comply but some people will not. Humanly speaking, no more is required, and no more can reasonably be asked, for this planet to remain a place fit for human habitation."

The monstrous failure of our bipartisan asylum seeker policy (The Age, 28 April 2016). "But here's the problem: [the Manus Island detention centre] was always illegal. It didn't suddenly become illegal when Abbott took power. Marles is right it was botched from day one, but that was Labor's day. It takes some special level of gall to establish an illegal detention centre, then insist it's the Coalition's mess"



dreamer_easy: (refugees)
GetUp! petition to #bringthemhere.

This point scoring and deal making with refugee's lives is absurd (The Age, 8 August 2017). Journalist and refugee Behrouz Boochani writes from the camp: "Peter Dutton has reiterated that the Manus detention centre will close by October 31. This does not reflect any concern for the 800 or so refugees still housed here. Instead, it means a kind of ruthlessness has been formed in the government and the minister is utterly determined to shut down the facility despite us having nowhere safe to go."

UNHCR warns of escalating crisis on Manus Island (UNHCR media release, 10 August 2017)

Driven to death on Manus Island (The Saturday Paper, 12 August 2017)

'Trash left in limbo': Fears for refugees on Manus after detention centre closes (SMH, 13 August 2017) "'We are harassed on the road and robbed on the road... Police say they can't do anything. They say "we don't want you to come to our community".'"

Border force doctor knew of Manus asylum seeker's deteriorating health before death (GA, 9 August 2017) | These Emails Show The Government Was Repeatedly Warned Before Hamed Shamshiripour’s Death (Junkee, 12 August 2017) | Angry Labor MPs confront shadow minister in secret meeting over 'silence' on refugee death (SMH, 11 August 2017) |
Manus Island asylum seeker death: family want inquest in Australia (GA, 9 August 2017)

As others see us:

Australia’s Desperate Refugee Obstinacy (New York Times, 8 August 2017)

Trump said the Australians were 'worse than I am' on immigration. A tragedy may prove his point. (Washington Post, 9 August 2017)

'They don't care': Refugees shocked by leaked Trump-Turnbull call (CNN, 7 August 2017)

You Probably Missed the Big Story Buried in the Latest Trump Leaks (Time, 10 August 2017). "While the last Administration strongly pressed the Australian government to change its policy toward asylum seekers, we also sought to immediately relieve the suffering of these refugees and agreed to resettle up to 1,200 after they went through the U.S. government’s rigorous refugee screening processes."


dreamer_easy: (refugees)
The illegal camp is being closed. The refugees are being forced out to the transit centre in Lorengau. Power, phones, water, and medical treatment have been withdrawn. Outside the camp, they are subject to constant violent attacks by the locals. The refugees continue to protest. An Iranian refugee, Hamed Shamshiripour, has been found dead near the transit centre; it's not clear yet whether he was murdered or took his own life.

A transcript has been leaked of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, in which they discussed the Australia-US refugee swap deal. First Dog On The Moon comments on this more effectively than I could.

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