Roadside demonstration: Thursday 31st October, Bellingen
Fundraising and fun event: Sunday 1st December from 11.30 am
News from the Refugee Council of Australia
Bomana prison, Port Moresby
Our next roadside demonstration will take place on Thursday 31st October from 2.30 to 4.00 pm on Waterfall Way in Bellingen.
You will find us in our usual spot, opposite the entrance to the golf
club, adjacent to the Yellow Shed. Please come and join us if you can.
It is really important for us to keep the message about our government’s
punitive and destructive refugee policy in the public eye. We have lots
of banners and placards to share, so why not give it a go?
Fundraising and fun event: Sunday 1st December from 11.30 am
We are planning a final fundraising event for 2019, to take place on Sunday 1st December, starting at 11.30 am. We are calling it Bush, Beach and Bash!
The plan is to gather at 39 Rogers Drive, Valla Beach, take a stroll
through the Jagun nature reserve to the beach, have a brief walk on the
beach and finally return to Rogers Drive for lunch at about 12.30 pm.
You are asked to bring a plate to share and to make a $20 contribution
to our fundraising for the Asylum Seekers Centre. Drinks will be
provided.
If
you don’t feel up to the Bush and Beach bits, then just come along to
Rogers Drive at around 12.30, or earlier if you prefer to sit and have a
chat. If it rains, we’ll simply get together to have an enjoyable end
of year lunch and social. There will be a raffle!
As
you will know, the Asylum Seekers Centre does vital work in support of
asylum seekers in Sydney, providing advice, meals, English lessons, help
with accommodation, interpreter services and much besides. They are
totally dependent on groups like ours to maintain their services. So far
this year we have donated $9,200 to support their work, and it would be
great if we could get to $10,000.
Please
put the date in your diary, and let Mike know if you are planning to
attend, which we hope you will. Please email Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.
News from the Refugee Council of Australia
The
following excerpt from the RCA’s latest newsletter illustrates
perfectly the importance of
organisations like the Asylum Seekers
Centre, as they struggle to provide basic care for asylum seekers.
“Rosa*
and Joseph* arrived in Australia and sought refugee protection
immediately. They have three young children. After having secured
employment, Joseph was able to support his family while they waited for a
decision on their refugee claim. After injuring himself, he is no
longer able to work, but cannot access assistance through the Status
Resolution Support Services Program because of the government’s changes
to the program.
Even though Rosa and Joseph submitted their protection application over two years ago, they are still waiting for an interview on their refugee claim.
While they wait, they have no access to a basic living allowance to
cover rent, food and medication for their sick toddler. They rely on
community organisations to help pay their rent and get a small food
parcel just once a week. Rosa and Joseph routinely skip meals so their
children can eat. Not knowing where their children’s next meal will come
from, or if they can pay for their child’s medicine, leaves both Rosa
and Joseph facing overwhelming stress and anxiety - on top of their
fears about whether they will be found to be owed protection.
Rosa
and Joseph’s family are just one of thousands forced to navigate an
extremely complex and often-changing protection process whilst
struggling to survive.”
*not their real names.
In
a recent interview on Radio New Zealand, the General Secretary of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Fr Giorgio Licini, spoke out
strongly about the punitive regime in Bomana prison, where currently 47
men are being held in isolation. There were until recently 53 men in the
prison, but six of them have been released, having signed forms to
agree to repatriation to their home countries. Fr Licini has spoken to
two of the six men, describing them as tired, exhausted, emaciated, and
in very bad psychological shape. They are both Iranian, have been
previously jailed in Iran because of their political activities, and
expect to receive long jail terms on their return. Fr Licini states: “We
tend to believe that the government of Australia is making life
particularly harsh for them inside Bomana in order to convince them to
sign for repatriations.” He goes on to say: “I maintain that this is an
Australian initiative, it’s an Australian business, it’s Australian
funded. Decisions are taken in Australia, not in PNG. Bomana is 100
percent the work of Australia.”
Our
government’s policy of deliberate cruelty seems to be working. It is
clear that our government is enforcing a level of brutality that it
knows that it would not get away with in Australia. This is truly
shameful.
It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.
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