September RAR 5 rally in Bellingen

Another successful rally in Bellingen by RAR for asylum seekers.  Approximately 80% of drivers on Waterfall Way honked or waved to show their support. 

The Priya family's plight has brought home to many Australians the unfairness of refugee treatment by the Australian government.

Updates on Medevac and Manus and Nauru

 

Manus refugees held in Bomana prison with no access to phones or lawyers
The 52 so called "negative" asylum seekers are being kept isolated in a return to the most barbaric detention conditions, read Guardian report here or our press release.
Move of Manus refugees to Port Moresby no solution
 
Refugees on Manus have been offered a move to Port Moresby in PNG. Some have reported that this may be part of a plan to “end Manus detention arrangements” by transferring all remaining refugees and asylum seekers there. But previous transfers to Port Moresby have left refugees jobless, homeless and destitute with even less access to medical care than they have on Manus Island. Read more here.


Three quarters of refugees on Manus and Nauru seriously ill
Doctors involved in the Medevac process reveal in their submission to parliamentary inquiry the scale of the medical crisis offshore, read report in Sydney Morning Herald here
 
Pakistani refugee on Nauru hospitalised after burning himself
The man was moved to Brisbane for intensive care, in a sign of the ongoing desperation on Nauru, read report here

Recent RAR events, Coffs Coast

Rally on Pacific Highway near Coffs Harbour Health Campus

Fundraising event in Mylestom

This was a multicultural music and food event at Mylestom Hall to raise funds for local refugees here with no government support and not allowed to work. This was a very successful event. 

Thanks to organisers Gillian, Margie and Georgie. Without Annika there would have been no music.  Sue, Priscilla,  Ton, the local Firees, and so many more made up a wonderful group of people hell bent on making the event a great success.  The whole community is to be congratulated for its wholehearted support.  It has brought together many wonderful people committed to assisting our asylum seeker family and gives us hope for a more positive attitude to asylum seekers and refugees.

 Putting on such an function included both small and large contributions from so many wonderful people in our community.  The posters, the transport, the preparations, all added to such a successful event.

In fact it is our wonderful local community who made this such an fabulous event.  Financial successful and socially successful, raising the plight of asylum seekers and refugees to a wide group of people who expressed concern at the appalling treatment they experience at the hands of the government.

The support from the community has been wonderful and is much appreciated.

Gillian

Remaining Manus Island refugees offered voluntary relocation to Port Moresby : The Guardian

"Amnesty International cautiously welcome Papua New Guinea’s offer but say it is not a ‘fix-all’ for six years of ‘terrible treatment’.

"All remaining refugees on Manus Island can relocate to Port Moresby, the Papua New Guinean government has said, offering to continue providing accommodation and health services in the capital city.

According to refugees on Manus Island, notices were issued on Monday informing the 120 or so men left on the island of the offer, which has been cautiously welcomed by Amnesty International.

“Refugees who transfer to Port Moresby will continue to receive services like those currently available to them,” it said.

“Relocation to Port Moresby is not permanent settlement in PNG. [The Immigration and Citizenship Authority] continues to encourage refugees to consider settling in PNG.”

....................


"Graham Thom, refugee coordinator at Amnesty International Australia, said the PNG government was “ultimately doing the right thing”, but expressed concern and called for greater clarity.

“It is vital that there is a long-term plan for these refugees and that their rights are protected. We still have concerns about the men’s safety in the community. Refugees have been targeted in the past and Port Moresby continues to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world,” said Thom."


Read complete The Guardian story

Newsletter for 20th August 2019 RAR Bello and Nambucca

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 22^nd August, 2.30 to 4.00 pm

Our next market stall: Sunday 1^st September, Coffs Harbourside market

Fundraiser at Mylestom Hall: SOLD OUT!

A new detention centre opens in PNG

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 22^nd August, 2.30 to 4.00 pm

Our next roadside demonstration will take place on Thursday in Coffs Harbour, by the Pacific Highway, opposite the base hospital, from 2.30 to 4.00 pm. Please come and support us if you can. We are always delighted to welcome new supporters to join our regular band of banner wavers and placard holders! These events are a great way to remind people about the injustice and the inhumanity of our government’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, so the more of us there are, the better we can be at getting our message across.

Our next market stall: Sunday 1^st September, Coffs Harbourside market

 

A reminder that our next market stall will be at the Coffs Harbourside market on Sunday 1^st September from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. As usual, we’ll be handing out leaflets, engaging with market-goers and collecting final signatures on our open letter to the Prime Minister, urging him to accept the offer of the New Zealand government to accept 150 refugees a year from Manus and Nauru. If you are able to help out at our stall for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. 

Fundraiser at Mylestom Hall: SOLD OUT!

As you will be aware from previous newsletters, a group of RAR supporters are planning a fundraising lunch and auction on Saturday 24th August in support of a local asylum seeker family. We are delighted to report that the event is now sold out, and should therefore raise a significant amount of money to help this family secure rental accommodation in Coffs Harbour in the months ahead. If you were not able to secure a place at the lunch, but would like to make a donation, then you can do so by contacting Margie at: gsmh@fastmail.fm, or by phoning her on: 0414 592 519.

A new detention centre opens in PNG

In spite of the fact that the PNG Prime Minister James Marape has been calling for some time for the Australian government to set an end date for the closure of all detention centres in PNG, a new detention centre has been opened in Port Moresby. This prison - let’s call it what it is - has been funded by the Australian government to detain about 50 asylum seekers from Manus island who have had their claims for protection rejected. They were initially told that their transfer to Port Moresby was a temporary shift to hotel accommodation whilst repairs were conducted at their centre on Manus. The reality is that they are now held in secure detention, and on arrival were officially informed: “You will not leave your room. Your meals and drinks will be provided to you in your room. If you are on medication, we will administer it to you.” 

The reality, then, is that these men are to be detained indefinitely, in solitary confinement, until such time as they either agree to be deported back to their home countries or are forcibly returned. It appears that there is no proper process in place for them to have their claims for asylum to be independently reviewed, as is their right. Predictably, our government’s response to this development is that it is a matter for the PNG government, notwithstanding the fact that it is our government that has spent $20 million on constructing this new prison, and that it is our government which will pay all the costs of running the place. A spokesperson for the Australian government states: “As the PNG government seeks to resolve the regional processing caseload it has determined that these failed asylum seekers should be detained pending removal.” So, nothing to do with us!

Ian Rintoul, on behalf of the Refugee Action Coalition, quite properly takes a different view. He states: “Many of those being detained are deemed not to be refugees, although they have never had a refugee determination in PNG.” He adds that the new facility is as bad as the now closed Lombrum detention centre on Manus. His view is that the people who have had their applications for protection rejected should be released and have their cases properly reviewed. That is surely the proper thing to do.

See also:

Remaining Manus Island refugees offered voluntary relocation to Port Moresby : The Guardian

This newsletter is composed by Mike Griffin. This newsletter is sent to >670 recipients.

Check out the index of subjects on our blog http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au

It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.

Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/

(579 likes)

Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam

Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.com

The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au 

The National RAR facebook site is at  RAR Facebook

Rally for refugees and asylum seekers in Sydney

"Eight years without my family"
Rally for refugees and asylum seekers
12pm next Monday 12 August,
Immigration Dept, 26 Lee St, Sydney (see map here)

Following their rally in Canberra join asylum seekers and refugees who face permanent uncertainty and mental torture due to the policy of Temporary Protection Visas to protest in Sydney next Monday lunchtime.

Hundreds of refugees from across the Iraqi, Rohingya, Bangladeshi, Hazara and other communities are expected to attend. People are growing desperate due to the prospect of another three years separated from their families, with their children barred from tertiary education and without the certainty that they can stay here. Please come along at lunchtime on Monday to show them your support!

Invite your friends at www.facebook.com/events/343212429941368/

Fundraiser for Refugees at Mylestom August 24th SOLD OUT

Fund raising to support a local family of refugees.

"These people have been accepted by Australia as genuine refugees who cannot return to their countries of origin because they have a well-founded fear of persecution or worse. After all the trauma that they have suffered, they need now to rebuild their lives in Australia. Sadly, the current government policy of issuing these genuine refugees with Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) or Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEVs), rather than permanent protection, makes it very difficult indeed for them to get on with their lives."

Letter to Pat Conaghan MP by M.G.

Letter to Pat Conaghan MP, August 2019

                                                                                8^th August 2019

 Dear Mr Conaghan,

You will be aware, I’m sure, that some one thousand refugees and their friends recently held a demonstration outside parliament.

These people have been accepted by Australia as genuine refugees who cannot return to their countries of origin because they have a well-founded fear of persecution or worse. After all the trauma that they have suffered, they need now to rebuild their lives in Australia. Sadly, the current government policy of issuing these genuine refugees with Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) or Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEVs), rather than permanent protection, makes it very difficult indeed for them to get on with their lives.

Many of these refugees are separated from their families, and haven’t seen their loved ones for years, but these temporary visas do not permit their families to join them. Without the express permission of the Australian government, they are not permitted to travel overseas to third countries where they could at least meet up with family members. Every three years (TPVs) or five years (SHEVs) they have to reapply for protection, meaning that their lives are full of uncertainty. Just imagine a female refugee being forced to relive her story of sexual violence at the hands of militias, to a complete stranger, often male, through an interpreter. Why do we need to punish and humiliate people in this way?

And what about their children, as they approach university age? Their temporary visa means that they are not able to access the student loans scheme (HECS), but are required to pay the full overseas student fee, which is completely beyond the capacity of almost every refugee family.

It should be abundantly clear that these temporary visas serve no good purpose, and that they inflict great harm. It need not be like this. It has not always been like this.  Other developed countries treat their refugees with compassion, regarding them as an asset rather than a burden. With the federal election now behind us, this is surely an opportune moment to right this wrong and to put this punitive and unnecessary policy behind us.  I request that you raise these matters with the Department of Home Affairs, and that you advocate for a change of policy, namely the reintroduction of permanent protection for those whose claim for protection has been approved.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

M

RAR at the Valla Markets

Another sunny Coffs Coast Day with our Rural Australians for Refugees stall finding lots of support from fellow Australians at the Valla Markets.

Refugee Action Coalition Sydney Newsletter, August 1, 2019

Refugee Action Coalition forum Temporary Protection Visas and life in limbo for refugees

6pm next Monday 5 August
NSW Teachers Federation, 23-33 Mary St Surry Hills

Speakers:
Sabrin Farooqui (Shakti Refugee and Migrant Women's Support Group NSW)
Sajeda Bahadurmia (Rohingya community activist and TPV holder)
Ruby Wawn (Refugee Action Coalition)

Refugees who arrived by boat now only receive TPVs, meaning they must reapply again after three years, with the chance of rejection and being sent back, and have no right to bring family members here. The election result means they now face another three years of uncertainty and isolation from their families. Join us to discuss this situation and the efforts to demand justice.

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Hundreds of TPV refugees rally in Canberra

More than 1000 refugees and asylum seekers rallied in Canberra on Monday, chanting "eight years in enough" in protest at their desperation at being denied permanent status and family reunion rights.
Read a full report in the Canberra Times here. Watch the SBS news report here, or check out a collection of photos from the Refugee Action Campaign Canberra here.


 

Reaching Out Concert for asylum seekers in Nambucca Heads, July 29

Bellingen High School Jazz Ensemble

Bellingen High String Quartet

Proceeds from the sales of tickets, the raffle and works of art will be donated to the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown, which does vitally important work supporting asylum seekers in Sydney. 

 

Artwork by Marlene Griffin was on sale

An appreciative audience gathers

Hayden, Molly and Marlene Griffin, Organiser

Hayden and Molly, from Dorset, are cycling around the world to raise funds for refugees.

Snez and Stuart

Our local RAR is so appreciative of the artists, Snez and Stuart, and The Bellingen High School students and teachers, who performed for the responsive audience. This was no amateur performance but a delightful afternoon of quality music among friends. I will certainly be attending a 2020 concert.

Bellingen Sinfonia

"Thank you to all who attended. 

Every $5 we raised provides a meal for a family of four. The funds we raised will be donated to the Asylum Seeker Centre in Sydney, which provides, food, accommodation, medical assistance, English lessons and legal aid to families now living in extreme poverty yet not permitted to seek work in Australia. 

Musicians of the Bellingen Youth Orchestra enjoyed the afternoon and we hope they will come back at some point in the future.

We would like to thank them for giving us such a wonderful afternoon and so generously performing in this benefit concert."

From: Nambucca Guardian

Bellingen Sinfonia


Related: Library expansion will mean growing pains for Nambucca arts community

Six years too long rally in Toormina, July 25, 2019

 #6yrs2long

There was a very successful Rural Australians for Refugees (Bellingen & Nambucca) demonstration on Hogbin Dr, Toormina, this Thursday afternoon. Let's hope many of the school students being collected by parents asked them why we were standing with banners on the roadside.  Spread the hashtag #6yrs2long

#6yrs2long

#6yrs2long

RACNSW Newsletter (Part)

Thousands say six years too long, Save Medevac

Thanks to everyone who rallied to mark six years of detention on Manus and Nauru on the weekend. There was an excellent turnout of around 1500 people in Sydney (photos below).

The SBS news report on the rally along with a report is online here, and another report is here and you can watch Dan Ilic's speech from the Sydney rally here. 

There is also a great photo of the crowd in Melbourne here.

 

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Refugees rally for permanent protection
 

Protest at parliament in Canberra 10.30am next Monday 29 July

A group of refugees on Temporary Protections Visas (TPVs) and bridging visas will protest in Canberra next week, travelling from Melbourne and Sydney. Refugees who arrived by boat are now only receiving TPVs, meaning they must reapply again after three years, with the chance of rejection of being sent back, and have no right to bring family members to Australia. Facebook event here

If you are interested in travelling down from Sydney contact us at info@refugeeaction.org.au

Newsletter for 23rd July 2019 RAR, Bellingen and Nambucca

In this Newsletter:

Bellingen market report

 Roadside demonstration: Thursday 25^th July, 2.30 to 4.00 pm, Toormina

Final curtain call: fundraiser on Sunday 28^th July at 2.00 pm

Manus island. What is going on?

The New Zealand off remains on the table

 

Bellingen market report

 Saturday’s market in Bellingen was a special affair, in that, in addition to our usual activities, we were also marking the sixth anniversary of the Rudd Labor government’s decision to condemn any further asylum seekers arriving by boat to indefinite offshore detention on Nauru or Manus island. None of the asylum seekers arriving by boat after 19^th July 2013 would be allowed to resettle in Australia, in contravention of our international obligations. To mark the occasion on Saturday, we had special posters and placards on display, we invited visitors to our stall to write a postcard either to the Prime Minister or to our local Member of parliament, and we asked people to write a message of hope to the refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus. Yesterday, we posted sixty postcards to the Prime Minister or to our local MP, and we sent more than forty messages of hope to the Australian Refugee Advocacy Network, who will ensure that they are sent to detainees on Nauru and Manus. In addition, we collected more than 200 signatures on our open letter to the PM, which calls on the government to accept the offer of the New Zealand government to resettle 150 refugees annually from our offshore detention centres.

So, a very busy day, and a huge thank you to the many supporters who worked so hard to make our event such a success. You will find photos of our market activities on our blog and our Facebook page.

Our next stall will be at the Valla Beach market on Saturday 3^rd August from 9.00 am until 1.00 pm. If you can help out for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. 

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 25^th July, 2.30 to 4.00 pm, Toormina

Our next roadside demonstration is scheduled for this Thursday afternoon in Toormina. You will find us in our usual spot on Hogbin Drive, about 200 metres down from the fire station, in the direction of the airport. We have lots of banners and placards to share, so why not consider coming to join us? It would be really encouraging to welcome some new people to our demos, which are a great way of reminding people about the reality of what continues to be done in our name.

Final curtain call: fundraiser on Sunday 28^th July at 2.00 pm  

A final reminder that our important fundraising concert will take place on Sunday in the Nambucca Community and Arts Centre, located on Ridge Street. Everything is in place for you to enjoy an afternoon of joyful music. 

Tickets are available at Helloworld Travel on Bowra Street, Nambucca Heads, or on the door on the day of the concert. If you wish to secure your tickets in advance, for collection on arrival, then please phone Mike on 6569 5419, or email him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. 

Proceeds from the sales of tickets, the raffle and works of art will be donated to the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown, who do vitally important work supporting asylum seekers in Sydney. 

Please make a big effort to support this major fundraising event if you can.

Refreshments will be served in the small hall during the interval. If you care to bring along a plate to share, that would be greatly appreciated.

Manus island. What is going on?

There are currently some 450 men detained in Papua New Guinea at the behest of the 

Australian government. It has been revealed in recent days, however, that the majority of them have been transferred to the PNG capital, Port Moresby. 

The Greens senator, Nick McKim, was briefly on Manus island last week, before being abruptly deported, and he reported that approximately 300 detainees have been moved off Manus and are being held in Port Moresby. There are scant details of why there has been this mass transfer, or the conditions in which the men are held, though it is known that a small number of the men are awaiting resettlement in the US, and others are in Port Moresby for medical treatment.

In the meantime, the new prime minister of PNG, James Marape, has been voicing his concerns on a regular basis about the continued presence of asylum seekers and refugees on PNG. Last week, he made it clear that he wants the arrangement with the Australian government to come to an end, and is seeking a timeline to put an end to this shameful chapter in our history. He stated: “These are human beings we are dealing with. We can’t leave them all hanging in space with no consideration into their future.” He is in Australia this week on a formal visit, and he is expected to press the Australian government to set a deadline for the removal of all the detainees from PNG.

PM Morrison and PM Ardern

The New Zealand offer remains on the table

The NZ prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, was in Australia last week, and reiterated her government’s offer to resettle 150 refugees annually from Manus and Nauru. The offer has been on the table since February 2013. If our government had accepted the proposal, there would by now be no refugees on Manus or Nauru. Our government, however, shows no sign of shifting from its hardline stance, and clearly will only do so if and when there is strong public pressure, and a vocal parliamentary opposition, to the present cruelty and inhumanity. But let’s not forget: it did happen with the children on Nauru, all of whom were removed before the federal election. It can happen again!

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Check out the index of subjects on our blog http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au 

It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.

Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/

(579 likes)

Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam

Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.com

 

The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au 

The National RAR facebook site is at  RAR Facebook