Protest and march
Saturday 5th December at 2pm

Why you should join the protest

When Kevin Rudd took power in 2007, many were hopeful that the dark days of Howard’s racism were behind us – the days of kids in detention, refugees dying at sea trying to make it Australia, and the Tampa.

Unfortunately Labor’s policies are not so different from the Liberals. More than 1,200 men, women and children are currently locked up in a maximum security detention centre on Christmas Island, while hundreds more are on boats in Indonesian harbours being used as pawns in a deadly game of diplomacy between Australia and Indonesia.

Once again it’s time to stand up and be counted, to stand up to the racist lies about asylum seekers, and to stand up for basic human rights.

Myths and facts about asylum seekers

Myth: The Tamil asylum seekers from Sri Lanka are economic migrants, terrorists or else should just go to India.
Fact: The Sri Lankan government has been waging a civil war against the Tamil people for 25 years which had its bloody end earlier this year. They have detained 300,000 Tamil civilians in concentration camps in the north of the country where violent abuse, rape and disease is common. This is what the people escaping on leaky boats are running from. The narrow strait between Sri Lanka and India is heavily patrolled by both navies and there are more than 100 checkpoints on the coast of Tamil Nadu in India specifically to turn back refugees from Sri Lanka. India is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention.

Myth: Asylum seekers who attempt to come to Australia could have stopped off at another country on the way such as Indonesia.
Fact: Indonesia is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention and asylum seekers who end up there can be detained in appalling conditions for years on end. Even when organisations such as the UN refugee agency have determined that they are refugees, they have no rights in Indonesia to work, send their kids to school or reunite their families. Many of the people on the Oceanic Viking Australian customs ship were found to be refugees by the UN as many as five years ago but have still not been resettled
in a safe country – hence their desperate flight to Australia.

Myth: Asylum seekers who arrive by boat are “queue jumpers”.
Fact: There is no “queue” when you are running in fear for your life. There is not even an Australian diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, for example, at which to apply for asylum. In Sri Lanka, attempting to reach Colombo (the capital city) is a journey which involves the risk of imprisonment or torture for Tamils coming from the north of the country. Whatever the method of arrival (and 90% of refugee claims in Australia are made by people who arrived by plane anyway), the Immigration Department is required to assess them on their merits.

Once again decent, desperate people seeking refuge from persecution are being treated like criminals by the Australian government. Their most basic human rights are being abused in the name of "border security".

• Welcome the asylum seekers
• Demand that refugees in Indonesia and Malaysia be accepted by Australia
• Process refugee claims in Australia – not on Christmas Island
• Call on the Australian government to increase the refugee intake.

Show your support for refugees – be part of this protest on Saturday, 5 December.

see pics from our last action

2009
13 November An article in the Australian on why Sri Lankans don't go to India
12 November Against the war of words over Sri Lankan Tamils, Pamela Curr reminds us what is not being said.
6 November Jakarta Globe: For refugees Australia should rethink the Indonesia solution
6 November Union donates cash to asylum seekers
6 November Oceanic Viking - The Finale
6 November Galang's refugee hell
5 November Maritime Union of Australia says Sri Lankan refugees are Australia's responsibility
4 November Australian Tamil: Allow refugees in.
4 November Australian governments have form on using force against asylum seekers
4 November Questions about refugee boats that need rescuing
2 November The racism that stops a nation. Join Getup's campaign against demonisation of asylum seekers.
1 November Some facts about boats from Indonesia
1 November The Push/Pull factor. What's behind it?
30 October Now it's Labor stirring racism against refugees, by Sandra Bloodworth
30 October Let the asylum seekers into Australia, by Liam Ward.
21 October It's hard to understand why PM Rudd persists with his brutal attitude when so many keep breaking ranks.
27 October Prime Minister Rudd's Indonesian jails are mostly worse than Woomera or Port Hedland or Baxter or Curtin.....
20 October Immigration detention and offshore processing on Christmas Island: a report by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
14 October Pamela Curr writes, "In the busy shipping lanes of the Mediterranean, 75 Eritrean men, women and children died of thirst in an open boat.
6 October Deportation to Sri Lanka goes horribly wrong
2 October Pamela Curr discusses the recent inquiry into the asylum seeker boat fire
10 September Detention debts finally dropped
2 August Afghan flees by air and flimsy boat
25 May Christmas Island is no paradise
22 May Australia signs UN protocol to the Convention against Torture
21 May Sri Lankan Tamils: Sharman Stone kicks a political football
9 May Indonesia and Australia: trading refugees for schools and roads
7 May When it comes to being humane and responsible, individuals are much better at it than desperate governments
24 April Pamela Curr reminds us exactly where the new arrivals are coming from, with more hope these days
16 April Why do they come? A round-up of a few newspaper articles.
16 April Liberals Wrong on Refugees — an article from the national paper, the Australian
14 April Seven years jail for going to church - and this is Australia!
9 April A "must read" for people interested in a human rights charter.
6 April The latest statistics from UNHCR
3 April The asylum seeker Australia sent home to be murdered (link goes to Melbourne "Age" newspaper)
2 April Prison cost-cutter with bad industrial record likely to get new detention management contract.
17 March New arrivals from Afghanistan show the Australian system still has serious problems.
20 March 'Mental Death' is a very useful article to explain why certain long-term ex-detainees behave in certain ways.
18 March Outstanding debts for accommodation while detained — dropped at last!
31 January The story of 193 Burmese Rohingyas — and how Kevin Rudd's Labor government keeps its hands clean.
28 January The tragic drowning of probably nine people who set out in a boat trying to get to Australia.
16 January 13 Afghans drown en route to Australia.

2008
9 December Enough, Stone and Turnbull; TPVs are in fact providing customers for people smugglers
4 December The Coalition's politics of fear
2 December Committee squanders chance to end failed mandatory detention policy
8 November Hunger strike in Villawood detention centre. We appeal to the Australian community to look beyond the constant stream of 30 second sound-bites and one paragraph press releases that are used to justify the treatment of asylum seekers.
5 November The arrival of two boatloads of asylum seekers is the first test of Labor’s new detention policy, writes Michelle Dimasi on Christmas Island.
7 October A second boat with 17 people has arrived. Let us get ahead of the dogfight.
3 October Fourteen asylum seekers arrive in a boat, and the new Opposition shifts like the sands.
16 September Four Corners screens video of brutality to lawful citizen.
25 August Rachel Evans gives a report back after a visit to Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney.
13 August Mr Ruddock Regrets. Too late now, Phil.
29 July Minister of Immigration Chris Evans announces a new direction in immigration policy.
28 July "Minister's changes don't go far enough," from Ian Rintoul
28 July "Minister's changes don't go far enough" Media release from Ian Rintoul, RAC-NSW
12 July Four academics in Western Australia look at the role of the Australian community, in both allowing the hard-line treatment of asylum seekers by the Howard government, and in turning it around.
16 June Chinese dissident commits suicide after forcible deportation
11 June Pamela Curr lists as many of the inquiries into detention that she can remember since 1997
10 June Government launches inquiry into detention
30 May Gates of Hell up for auction
14 May Major changes to the Immigration Act, but still no end to mandatory detention.
8 May Asylum Seeker Resource Centre media release. Watch out, Rudd. We're going to be back on the streets soon.
7 May Back to Square One. Massive community protest has returned no change whatsoever. Surprised? Not us.
22 April Read David Sparkes's report back written after RAC's public meeting, Open The Gate!
22 April Prominent lawyer says Labor's "Indian Ocean Solution" replaces former "Pacific Solution."
18 April The party's over! The figures are in, and the new government is not looking that good after all.
18 March Four whole months after the new government was elected, asylum seekers with no access to any kind of government support are still asking for the right to work so they can support themselves.
11 March Time to end privatisation of immigration detention centres.
1 February Who would ever think this day would come?
9 February Damaged souls caught in third wave of suffering.
26 January A little thing called citizenship.
25 January Message from Lombok, Indonesia, where the husbands and fathers have been taken away to force these families into "voluntarily" return to Afghanistan.
23 January Bad Australian example spreads around the world.
13 January Pamela Curr reports on another death in Villawood detention centre.
9 January HREOC release - good news, but still a lot of work to be done.
Dec 07 - Jan 08 Sri Lankans still stuck on Nauru
7 January The tiny little island of Nauru is in economic trouble and a lot of the blame must go to Australia
1 January John Winston Howard, former PM, some background

2007
24 November Federal election and a new government is elected. Does this mean a more humane regime for all of us, not just asylum seekers?
3 November ASIO ordered to release documents used to decide three men were dangers to national security.
29 October Sri Lankans still on Nauru, with nowhere to go, despite being recognised as refugees by Australian government.
4 October Saved by a Razor Blade. All too often, dangerous measures are required to avoid deportation.
2 October Facing an imminent election, and desperate to hold on to power, the Australian government pulls out The Race Card again, this time attacking Sudanese immigrants.
October Erecting a memorial to the people who drowned trying to seek asylum in Australia.
28 September Last week saw two Tanzanians returned. A Chinese man who has been tortured is to face removal next week.
27 September Confessions of a people smuggler. Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh tells of people smuggling in another era.
July The detention of Dr Haneef. once more highlights the seemingly limitless power of the Immigration Act.
June World's fastest growing refugee crisis. Read an article in Socialist Alternative magazine.
12 June Nauru still being used by Australia to dump unwated asylum seekers. Read these articles from The Age newspaper.
May Economic Management. The financial cost of detention centres.
April New life for Baxter detention centre? It looks like this concentration camp will soon hold soldiers.
Refugee swapping Was this set up by the sinister Ruddock?
April Terror stalks Chinese asylum seekers in Australian camps .
19 April Australia no help to Iraqi refugees - fleeing war caused by Australia.
22 March 07 Malaysia to do Australia's dirty work. Article in Age, with intro by Pamela Curr.
and continuing Despite Kevin Rudd's promise to make Australia "a more humane place" nothing much has filtered down to the refugees.
Christmas Island Detention Centre "A gulag" 30 March article, Green Left Weekly.
3 March The Howard government is in trouble - so here comes that Race Card again.

2006
6 August Attempted Suicide in Baxter Detention Centre.
5 August Abandoned. How Australia treats child asylum seekers who arrive unaccompanied.

2005
December "Dumped at the Gate; From Detention to Despair, Recommendations for minimum standards for the Post-Detention settlement of Asylum seekers." Published by The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (PDF 583Kb)
28 October Speech by ‘Ali’ an asylum seeker on Lombok, read at GPO, Melbourne.
Open letter to the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon John Howard MP, drafted by a National Committee convened by Labor for Refugees.
Palmer Report RAC(Vic) hopes the Rt Hon John W. Howard PM's chickens are coming home to roost at last. The detention of two Australian citizens, and even the deportation of one of them, have opened up the cracks.
Baxter News Inspirationally, while incarcerated, a group of Baxter detainees managed to compile, publish and distribute a regular newsletter. Prior to the Easter convergence RAC obtained a copy of the latest issue, which included the results of a survey among detainees about the prospect of loss of privilege during the forthcoming protest.
Cornelia Rau Asylum seekers give their opinion about sharing their accommodation with an Australian person.
18 October Christine Rau speaks about her sister's experiences in Baxter detention centre.

2004
Chemical Restraint If someone is likely to physically struggle against deportation, it is common for the Department of Immigration to forcibly jab them with a syringe full of muscle relaxant. Read this transcript of an interview on Melbourne's community radio station, 3CR, between former ACM nurse Barbara Rogalla and human rights worker Charandev Singh.
Voices on the line While trying to get through on the phone to refugee friends locked up in Baxter detention centre, activist Tanya McConvell kept a record of her thoughts. Read her eloquent piece here. A warning to delicate people: "The magic word" makes frequent appearances.
War creates refugees Read this interesting article about why RAC opposes the occupation of Iraq.
16 November Stand up for refugees; statement by RAC.
September "Deported to Danger." 40 asylum seekers rejected and deported by the Australian government were followed to their destinations by Edmund Rice Centre for Justice & Community Education, who published their findings with the School of Education, Australian Catholic University. (PDF 747Kb)
Sydney RAC Activists recently organised a protest at Ruddock's house. Read this first hand report.
April "Tall Tales, But True" Almost every refugee activist has read, if not bought, this very well backgrounded book by David Maher and Marianne Wilkinson. Read this review. Then buy the book.

2003
December What was really behind the fires in the camps? Download this comprehensive background article.
December Report of the rooftop protest and crackdown at Port Hedland Detention centre.
April "Assaults." Refugee activist Pamela Curr records every detail in her attempt to get police to investigate brutality in Baxter detention.
Shame, Australia, Shame An article by Jane Keogh
15 April Independent Monitors required. Greens Spokesperson for Refugees, Pamela Curr, calls for independent monitoring of Baxter detention centre.
"Genuine" vs "Non-Genuine" from the point of view of one ethnic Hazara from Afghanistan. To get an insight into the problems Hazara face, both in Afghanistan and in their quest to come to Australia, read this interesting article. Requires Acrobat Reader which is a free program.
The Pacific Solution The government is trying to export Australia's refugees to surrounding Pacific nations. Taking the policy to task is this fact sheet.
Forced deportations RAC organised a campaign against forced deportations. As we built up an emergency phone network to stop the deportations we produced a leaflet from which this text is taken.
Launceston's pro-refugee campaign were an inspiration to all of us when they united in support of the Sawari family who subsequently had their TPV status reinstated.
1700 East Timorese are in Australia, some of whom have been here for 10 years. Now they face forced deportation! This interview with Fivo Freitas, a 28 year old East Timorese asylum seeker is an introduction to this crucial issue. Also included is an article by refugee advocate Gillian Davey who argues that giving residency to 300 East Timorese asylum seekers is not enough!
What are Australia's refugee numbers? Are refugees terrorists? What sort of accomodation do detention centres offer? View this article from the Edmund Rice centre for more information.
Iranian country info This report was compiled by RAC Canberra and looks at what Iranian refugees face if succesfully deported.
TPV holders are effective second class citizens in Australia, constantly in a state of limbo.
The Fall Guy Refugee activists believe the Mayor of Port Augusta was set up by the Prime Monster, John Howard.

2002
September In far north Western Australia Curtin Detention Centre, under the psychopathic management of Greg Wallis, was even worse than Woomera.
Late A visit to Baxter. Mullumbimby activist Sara Saint-Saens visited Baxter, and wrote about her impressions.
3 June Woomera Nurse speaks out. Nurse Noira-Jane couldn't stand it any more.
18 May Are the USA and Australia playing 'Swapsies' with refugees?

2001
There should be stacks from 2001 and 2002. God knows where it all is.
Do you have anything on your PC that you would like to share with us?
If so, please send it to refugeeaction@hotmail.com

2000
November 2000 Deportation to death. describing the rejection of an asylum seeker and his deportation to Algeria, ultimately leading to his death. This is an old but nevertheless highly relevant article from the Age.