"A person is a refugee within the meaning of the 1951 Convention as soon as he fulfils the criteria contained in the definition. This would necessarily occur prior to the time at which his refugee status is formally determined. Recognition of his refugee status does not therefore make him a refugee but declares him to be one. He does not become a refugee because of recognition but is recognised because he is a refugee."

Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. Geneva, January 1992. Part One, Chapter 1, paragraph 28.

From Green Left Weekly, 22 June 2005
MELBOURNE — On 17 June, 35 people rallied outside the Maribyrnong detention centre to demand the closure of the facility. The protest, part of a series of actions to mark World Refugee Day, was initiated by Resistance high-school activists.
Jazzmine Loughran from Preshil High School told the rally, “We can’t just soften mandatory detention. We have to end it once and for all. It is up to us to shut down all the detention centres and free the refugees.”
Brianna Pike

This is how the local paper reported the action:

Brittany and Jazzmine organised the protest
and later took part in and spoke at the
World Refugee Day rally in the city on 19 June

MARIBYRNONG DETENTION CENTRE VIGIL / BBQ

The event was deliberately low key - the organisers even deciding not to use the megaphone - and kept away from the actual gates to the centre, apparently on the understanding that management for their part would not resort to the usual reprisal of banning visits, but they did anyway. (Though in fact no would-be visitors had presented themselves as of about 2.30pm. - apparently some did arrive later, and were denied access until everybody else had left...) In addition to Craig Beale and Senator Lyn Allison from The Democrats, there were speakers from The Greens and Socialist Alliance, before proceeding to the BBQ itself.

Senator Lyn Allison has all along been a vigorous opponent of the Howard government's treatment of asylum seekers in general, and a champion of victims of MIDC in particular.

Vigil/BBQ at MIDC 23 April 2005

By 2.30pm between twenty and thirty people has taken up the following invitation from Craig Beale on behalf of the Australian Democrats:

Dear Friends
We would love it if you will join us to protest against ongoing human rights violations in Australia.
There is more information below and a print ready flier.[not attached here - mdc-watch]
We have 2 speakers thus far but would welcome more from like minded organizations and possibly even an ex detainee if you know of someone. We also need a megaphone or something similar so everyone can hear the speakers.
....
The invitation is to all, regardless of political affiliation.
Thanks everybody, and I hope to see you there.
Kind Regards
Craig Beale.

Jesus was a refugee - solidarity protest at Maribyrnong, Easter Sunday 2005

It was arranged and announced at very short notice, and at the start it looked as if media and police would outnumber protesters, but in the end between 20 and 30 people joined a lively and noisy event at MIDC timed to coincide with the protests at Baxter.

True to form, GSL management cancelled visiting hours on the pretext of the protest, and one young lady who had come from Dandenong to visit her father was refused admission. At this point there were all of eight protesters outside, and the guards could only refer me to their boss, Mr DeCis, when I put it to them that there was no possible security risk involved in letting her through... It is true one protester [actually two, but one left when instructed to] had earlier got under the outer barrier and attempted to deliver Easter eggs at the inner, main gate. He was removed by police and has been told he may be summonsed for trespassing on Commonwealth land ...

After a few readings to illustrate what has been happening at this place there was agreement to move round the back and attempt to make some sort of contact with detainees by shouting through the wire. After a bit voices were indeed heard replying, even though only guards and police could be seen.

Towards the scheduled end the gathering was joined by a visibly distressed lady who it turned out had been involved with helping Vietnamese refugees in the 70s and had not seen the place since - she told me she could not understand how people could bear to see the fence and barbed wire ...

Explaining some of the history of MIDC:

In front of Exhibition Buildings

In front of the outer gates: Reprisal:

Arrested? For attempting to deliver Easter eggs?

Hanging banner on back fence

Listening for a reply