Letter to Peter Dutton - Time to show you have a heart, Minister

_{From: Georgette}

_{Sent: Tuesday, September 5, 2017 2:49 PM}

_{To: minister@border.gov.au}

_{Subject: Time for you to show you have a heart, Minister}

_{Dear Minister Dutton,}

_{I am appalled at your decision to seek transfer around 400 asylum seekers BACK to the hell hole detention centres, despite imminent closure of same.}

_{How do you expect these vulnerable people to fend for themselves?}

_{Australia needs to stop pretending that there will be some sort of miraculous safe haven, if these people are forced to return to their original homelands.  There is no safety for them there.  There is no safety for them in the detention centres, especially now, with withdrawal of services, and closure plans.  We must offer these people safe haven here in Australia.}

_{Cost-wise – we have spent more per person (asylum seeker) than it would have cost to house, educate, train and provide HOME and SAFETY to the asylum seekers you have kept in detention, at enormous cost to Australian taxpayers, the exact costs having been carefully withheld from the general public.}

_{As you very well know, under international law it is not a crime to flee political violence or war or to seek safety by crossing international borders. These asylum seekers are within their rights to expect refuge.  Your current move is blatantly political, inhumane, and serves to punish already traumatized asylum seekers who manage to make it to our shores.}

_{I see NO correlation between ‘stopping the boats’ and the cruelty you are inflicting on asylum seekers.  Your department has cleverly kept details of the financial costs, and the actual circumstances involved in ‘stopping the boats’ … your department has silenced medical and other support workers who have witnessed the cruelty and abuse in the detention centres, and now you aim to sweep away those who have been brought here, because of medical conditions, and their children.}

_{The newly-introduced visa goes against our Australian values of compassion and humanity.  I shall not be voting for any candidate who supports such inhumane policies or decisions.}

_{Yours sincerely,}

_{Georgette Allen}