As an ex-detainee coalition organisation, RISE urges the Australian public not to fall into the same trap placed by the Howard government in 2001. It is quite clear that the Gillard government’s continuation of some of these discriminatory policies act as a smokescreen for the mishandling of more critical issues that affect this country.

We encourage the public to support this campaign to put an end to mandatory detention and adopt alternative solutions that are legal and ethical. Just and inclusive government policies are important to build a sustainable future for this country. Therefore, it is the duty for all Australian citizens to oppose policies that increase marginalisation and discrimination in society.

In April 2010, the Australian government suspended the processing of refugee visas from Afghanistan. This contravenes the UN Refugee Convention that Australia is a party to, and goes against ethical and humane treatment of those who are categorised as refugees and asylum seekers.  As former detainees, we believe the suspension of visa processing for victims of persecution will not stop them fleeing on a leaky boat or deter people smugglers.

Seeking asylum is not a crime and it is a right that is upheld by the laws of this land as well as the UN Refugee Convention that our country has pledged to support. Yet in recent times, successive Australian governments have begun to fundamentally disregard this pledge. People imprisoned in detention centres as a consequence of seeking asylum in Australia include children. Australia only receives 0.1% from the world refugee population of 11,400,000. Is this a form of xenophobia or racial discrimination?

We urge the Australian government to: 

• Ensure Australian immigration laws apply equally to all Australian territories-onshore and offshore. The excision of islands in Australian territory from the migration zone and all boat arrivals being processed outside the mainland jurisdiction discriminates against asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia.

• End mandatory and arbitrary detention of asylum seekers and consider more effective, humane and legal alternatives.  The use of mandatory and arbitrary detention of asylum seekers as a deterrent to others seeking asylum goes against the UN Refugee and Human Rights Conventions. There are more ethical and humane alternatives to detention that have in many cases been proven to also be more effective.

• Make Australia‘s refugee and asylum seeker policies part of a global solution for victims of war and persecution.  To achieve this, the government should ensure that refugee and asylum seeker communities have a more active participatory role in the policy making process.

• Independent bodies such as refugee and asylum seeker advocacy groups and humanitarian organisations be part of a more transparent and accountable refugee and humanitarian visa application and settlement process.