Author: Jenny Haines

LABOR FOR REFUGEES CALLS FOR A ROYAL COMMISSION INTO ASYLUM SEEKER DETENTION Labor for Refugees issued a Media Release on 11 April last, endorsing the call by former workers in offshore detention centres, for a Royal Commission into allegations of sexual abuse of detainees on Nauru, being covered up by the Federal Government for a period of 17 months.

Please go the following link to read our Release L4RMediaReleaseRoyalCommissionNauru

Catherine CrittendenNovember 7, 2017Uncategorized

The following is the Motion that was carried in the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday 24^th August 2017:

MOTION IN THE ACT LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY re MANUS ISLAND AND NAURU

For Thursday 24^th August 2017

Shane Rattenbury, MLA to move – That this Assembly:

• Acknowledges the ACT Government’s ongoing commitment to upholding the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers, by reaffirming that:
  1. The ACT is the only Australian state or territory to have declared itself a Refugee Welcome Zone, and is one of 148 Refugee Welcome Zones across Australia – including councils and shires from every state. As a Refugee Welcome Zone we welcome refugees in our community, act to uphold their human rights, demonstrate compassion for refugees, and work to enhance our cultural and religious diversity; and
  2. The ACT is proud to be part of the Safe Haven Enterprise Visa Scheme. This underlines the commitment of both the ACT Government and the broader community to welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
• Notes that:
  1. The Manus Island detention facility and the Nauru Regional Processing Centre have been unequivocally shown, via multiple reports from reputable sources, including the United Nations, to be extremely unsafe and inappropriate places, yet over 2000 refugees – including 169 children – have been imprisoned for four years in these inhumane and degrading conditions;
  2. Refugees in these processing centres have been subjected to violent attacks, sexual violence, inadequate medical care, and harassment involving mothers, fathers and children as young as six;
  3. The United Nations has repeatedly criticised Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers including by saying: “The consensus among medical experts is that conditions of detention and offshore processing do immense damage to physical and mental health” and “[T]he Rapporteur concludes that there is substance in the allegations… that the Government of Australia, by failing to provide adequate detention conditions; end the practice of detention of children; and put a stop to the escalating violence and tension at the Regional Processing Centre, has violated the right of the asylum seekers, including children, to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment…”;
  4. On 8 August 2017, the UNHCR said it is “is gravely concerned by deteriorating conditions at the Manus Island ‘Regional Processing Centre’, as authorities seek to relocate people to Lorengau or elsewhere in Papua New Guinea. The announcement of the closure of the Centre, in the absence of appropriate alternatives, is causing acute distress among refugees and asylum-seekers”; and
  5. It is past time for this damaging, cruel and inhumane policy to end.
• Writes to the Federal Government, requesting that it:
  1. Immediately removes all refugees and asylum seekers from Manus Island and Nauru; and
  2. Brings all refugees and asylum seekers to Australia to be resettled in Australia’s 148 Refugee Welcome Zones where they can build new lives within this network of compassionate and caring communities committed to upholding their rights.
• Declares that: The ACT Government is willing and ready to settle refugees and asylum seekers from Manus and Nauru in Canberra as part of a national program of resettlement.

Background:

The Motion was tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday 24^th August – by Shane Rattenbury, Leader of The GREENS in the Legislative Assembly.

• The idea for the development of the Motion is a result of a combined efforts of a number of people including active members of the #ManusLivesMatter support group.
• Approximately forty people went along to sit in the Gallery and hear Shane Rattenbury speak to the Motion. After Shane spoke to it, all the people in the Gallery gave a long, standing ovation. Our Deputy Chief Minister, Yvette Berry (ALP) also spoke in support of the Motion. Alistair Coe (LIBs) rose to speak against it.
  
• The LIBs abstained from voting.
• Happily – the Motion was ‘carried’.

The Chief Minister, Andrew Barr wrote to Peter Dutton (on 6^th October). In his letter Andrew:

• let him know The Motion was passed in the Assembly on 24 August.
• restated the ACT’s long history as an inclusive community, is a ‘Refugee Welcome Zone’ and part of the SHEV program.
• restated how the ACT Govt is committed to resettling refugees and asylum seekers from Manus & Nauru.
• asked Dutton to immediately remove all refugees and asylum seekers from Manus and Nauru and resettle them in the Refugee Welcome Zones across Australia.
• stated how the ACT Govt welcomes all efforts of the Commonwealth Govt to resettle asylum seekers in Canberra.

Alternative to Nauru

I refer to Richard Marles’s piece on Nauru (“Activists’ rumour-mongering demonises and damages our friend Nauru”, 31/10). Marles argues that were the policy of offshore processing to end then asylum-seeker vessels would again set sail from Java and many asylum-seekers would die.
It has been pointed out to Marles that the answer to this argument is for Australia to increase its processing of asylum-seekers in Indonesia and admit those whose refugee claims are accepted. But Marles has continually ignored this response. To think that stopping the boats from departing Java solves the problem is to ignore the facts. Asylum-seekers in Indonesia can’t work and can’t send their children to Indonesian schools. If they choose to risk their lives by getting on a boat, it is because they do not consider that by remaining in Indonesia they are living.

Robin Rothfield, National Co-convenor, Labor for Refugees, Alphington, Vic

Published in The Australian 3 November 2015

Labor for Refugees made a submission to the National Policy Forum which is considering changes to Labor’s National Platform prior to the 2018 National Conference. Subsequently, a draft was issued by the NPF and members were invited to make comments and further submissions.

Labor for Refugees has now made the following further submissions to the National Policy Forum. Our November 2017 amendments appear in red font and the more recent ones are in blue font.

L4R Submission final with L4R amendments in red & blue as at 18 May 18

Explanatory note for Clause 287

Explanatory note for Clause 288

6.30PM TUESDAY 31 MAY 2016

THAI POTHONG NEWTOWN
294 KING STREET NEWTOWN
(close to Newtown Station and City Rd buses; parking is available at Broadway Shopping Centre, then bus to restaurant )

COST: $60 per person, includes a Banquet. Pensioner and unemployed concessions available upon application. Drinks: BYO. The restaurant is also licensed.

SPECIAL GUEST: CHARLES FIRTH

Charles is an Australian comedian, best known as a member of The Chaser productions CNNNN and The Chaser’s War on Everything

During the evening, there will be an AUCTION of some David Pope (Canberra Times) cartoons, and some paintings inspired by the suffering of asylum seekers.

Catherine CrittendenSeptember 21, 2017Uncategorized

We will have a better chance of success in reforming Labor’s refugee policies if supporters of L4R  stand as Delegates for next year’s National Conference.   The changes to ALP rules allow National Conference Delegates to be elected by rank and file members from their Federal Electorate Councils.  We therefore urge you to consider nominating when this opportunity arises.  There will be 107 Delegates attending from NSW. 

If you intend running as a Conference Delegate, please send us your Expression of Interest so that we can support you.

Current ALP National Platform

Labor for Refugees Amendments R1 C to National Platform – Consultation Draft-3 (what we took to Conference)

Summary-of-Significant-Amendments-to-the-Platform-Secured-by-Labor-for-Refugees

Omnibus Amendments Passed on Refugee Platform resulting from Labor for Refugees proposals to the National Policy Forum Working Group

Amendments Passed on International Engagement resulting from the lobbying efforts of Labor for Refugees and our involvement in the National Policy Forum Working Group

Randwick-Coogee Branch 21 August 2017

The Branch supports the Labor Party working towards a humane solution to the refugees and asylum seekers situations on Manus Island and Nauru.

Summer Hill Branch 15 February 2017

A motion was carried unanimously by members of ALP Summer Hill Branch endorsing the Refugee Council of Australia statement urging Labor to lead in the formation of the bipartisan commitment to bring asylum seekers from Manus Island and Nauru to safety. A further motion was carried that Labor publicly clarify that the people (people seeking asylum and refugees) banished by Australia to Manus Island and Nauru are not illegal immigrants.

The RCOA statement headed Bring These People to Australia, is an open letter from civil society to PM Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition leader Bill Shorten Labor for Refugees signed this statement which appeared in The Australian on 6/2/17. The ad was tabled and circulated. It follows: Organisations from around the country representing millions of Australians have joined together to call for urgent action on Manus Island We, as a coalition of organisations and community g roups from around Australia, are writing to express our concern regarding the humanitarian cris is that Australia has created. Successive Australian governments have managed and funded offshore detention camps on Manus Island and Nauru. The people detained there are cle arly Australia’s responsibility. This situation has reached crisis point, and immediate action must be Beyond the reports of physical and sexual abuse, in cluding of children; inadequate medical attention; suicides and attempted suicides; even a murder; the extinguishment of hope has pushed people to Many of these people have been recognised as refuge es. We owe them protection and safety now. Meanwhile, politicians are spending years engaged i n lengthy negotiations as to the fate of these men, women and children. With the US resettlement d eal in serious doubt, the most obvious and humane solution is to clear the camps and bring the se people to Australia until a safe long term, appropriate outcome for them can be guaranteed. We do not have years. Australia cannot allow anothe r person to die or suffer because of our negligence. This race to the bottom, this cruel gam e of human ping pong, must end. This is a crisis. We are calling on both major part ies to form a bipartisan commitment to immediately evacuate the camps and bring these people to safety