The refugee group of Amnesty International in Canberra has sent out the following to assist those wishing to protest proposed changes to the refugee system:
"Hello refugee supporters,
Today Parliament will be voting on very radical changes to the refugee system that will see every single person arriving in boats taken out of Australia, and most likely never make it to Australia as a refugee.
These changes are much more radical than what happened in the wake of Tampa.
After granting visas to the West Papuans, Australia has now modified its refugee system, making it impossible to arrive in this country via boat and seek asylum. Over 90% of all people arriving by boat are found to have very strong refugee claims.
It will take two senators to cross the floor for the bill to be defeated.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre recommends contacting the following
senators:
To email Barnaby Joyce:
senator.joyce@aph.gov.au
(National Party, visited West Papuans on Xmas Island, spoke supportively of their refugee claims)
To email Judith Troeth:
senator.troeth@aph.gov.au
(Liberal Party, supported Georgiou reforms)
To email Marise Payne:
senator.payne@aph.gov.au
(Liberal Party, supported Georgiou reforms)
To email Stephen Fielding:
senator.fielding@aph.gov.au
(Family First)
Telephone calls, faxes, letters and visits to your local MP are even more effective, but if you only have time to email, that's great! Some people who have been lobbying politicians over this issue have said that they have recieved almost no expression of community concern about it!
If you have no time to draft your own email, try using some of the words below.
Dear Senator
I am writing to express my outrage about the proposed legislation that will radically change Australia's refugee system. I urge you to cross the floor and vote against these changes on Tuesday. It will take two senators to cross the floor for the bill to be defeated. If you allow this legislation to pass, every single person arriving in a boat will be taken out of Australia and imprisoned overseas in detention. This means they will most likely never make it to Australia as a refugee. It may also mean that they are imprisoned indefinitely awaiting asylum from another country.
Over 90% of all people arriving by boat are found to have very strong refugee claims.
These changes are much more radical than what happened in the wake of Tampa. The suggested legislative changes are in breach of international law (The Refugee Convention 1951). Article 31 of the Convention expressly states that refugees should not be penalised based on their method of arrival. The new laws will have no regard for whether a refugee comes directly to Australia or not.
A vital fact is that once a person is deemed to be a genuine refugee under Australia's processes, then it is very difficult to see how any other nation would accept them as part of their refugee intake. In the international community, it would be regarded as Australia's duty to accept such refugees. Instead, such people are at risk of remaining in indefinite detention (most likely on Nauru or Christmas Island). Detention carries with it health risks and contributes to family dislocation, trauma and poverty. Imprisoning people who have already faced persecution in their homeland is a double blow to international humanitarian efforts to help displaced persons. It is punishing the people who have already been punished enough.
Offshore processing of asylum seekers is yet another means to dehumanise the refugee population arriving in Australia. This dehumanisation is a continuation of Australia's policy to rid such refugees of a political voice through restricting their access to legal representation, the Australian legal system and the Australian community.
The results of long term and remote detention received negative attention in the Palmer Report. You can ensure that no further women, children and genuine refugees are subjected to indefinite detention offshore - cross the floor on Tuesday. I will be watching the outcome of the vote with interest."
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