Australia's politicians are still trying to out-do each other on being tough on asylum seekers. A lot of our population would not be here if this country had not accepted them or their relatives as asylum seekers, refugees or migrants. I always wonder how most of us would try and convince another country to accept us if we experienced natural disaster or war that made our country unliveable?
Here is a link to the UNHCR list of prominent refugees:
Dear Minister
I am writing you to urge you to reconsider plans to reopen the Manus Island Detentention facility in Papua New Guinea.
Your government's decision to expand detention programs is inhumane and unjust. If detainees are here unlawfully they should be sent home. If the are not, we should be releasing them and integrating them into Australian society as occurred in past eras. More humane approaches are needed in this area as innocent people fleeing persecution do not deserve to be punished without trial in such a way. Money would be better spent speeding up the assessment process and placing people in community programs until their cases have been resolved.
The cost to the community of the current approach is unacceptable - it places detainees in danger of developing severe mental illness and severe hardship which continues after their release. A more measured response would seek more practical solutions that do not use off-shore processing.
Yours Sincerely
Me
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