Over 30 refugees, almost half of those being held at the Mantra Hotel in Melbourne, are in their sixth day of a “stay-in” protest over their continued detention and worsening conditions.
Since last Friday, the refugees are refusing to leave their rooms – boycotting all activities, and gym facilities.
The refugees are protesting over being indefinitely detained since they were brought from PNG for medical treatment under the Medevac law.
In a group complaint letter, signed by 34 refugees (see here), sent on 2 November, the refugees say, “It’s almost 18 months we [have been] detained here and we have not received proper treatment… we [were] mostly brought here for mental issues [but] we feel even worse since we came to Australia.”
Serco only responded to the complaint letter, more than three weeks later, yesterday 25 November.
The “stay-in” protest came after news that 10 refugees and asylum seekers brought from Nauru on 4 September have been released into community detention after two months’ detention in Australia, while refugees transferred under Medevac legislation, are still in closed detention after more than 18 months.
Tensions are increasing across the government’s detention regime, fuelled by the discriminatory treatment of refugees brought to Australia under the now-repealed Medevac laws.
Protests continue, both inside and outside, the Mantra Hotel, Preston, every weekday at 5pm; and at 3pm on the weekend. Constant noise from renovations at the Mantra hotel are adding to the intolerable conditions.
Despite attempts by Border Force to stamp out protests at the Kangaroo Point hotel, protests also continue at that hotel-prison, with rush-hour protests outside the hotel every Monday and Wednesday, starting at 4.30pm.
Inside Brisbane’s detention centre, Somali refugee Saif Ali staged a protest over his continued detention, and Border Force’s refusal to allow him to visit his wife who was having surgery in Brisbane yesterday (Wed 25 November).
Major “Free the Refugees” rallies are being held as part of the #TimeForAHome campaign on 12 December in Sydney and Melbourne and 13 December in Brisbane.
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
