RELEASE ALL REFUGEES HELD IN INDEFINITE DETENTION

RELEASE THE ASIO POLITICAL PRISONERS

The Minister for Immigration can release these people.

Meet at Brendan O’Connor’s electoral office:
13-15 Lake Street, Caroline Springs

27 refugees, all indefinitely detained because of ‘adverse’ ASIO assessments are on the 8^th day of a hunger strike at the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (MITA) in Broadmeadows. 56 refugees plus children detained with their parents, have been given refugee status but are imprisoned indefinitely on the basis of ‘adverse’ ASIO assessments.

A new review process is expected to take months and leave ASIO and the Immigration Minister with the final say. New statements of reasons given to refugees by ASIO are a joke, they are a few lines long, and provide no evidence for ASIO ‘beliefs’, or any reason why these refugees would be a threat if released. The refugees have already been held for periods of up to 4 years, and do not know whether they are ever going to be released. They are desperate for a resolution “Four years is more than enough, let us be free. Death is better than live hopelessness” reads one of their banners “We are very very innocent” reads another.

“There is no legislation that says refugees with ‘adverse’ ASIO assessments must be detained, this is a decision of the Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor, who has the power to release all these refugees today.” Said Sue Bolton for the Refugee Advocacy Network

“The Refugee Advocacy Network calls for the immediate release of all refugees with ‘negative’ ASIO assessments.”

For more information ring Sue Bolton on  0413 377 978 or Pamela Curr 0417 175 075