Sixty asylum seekers in Curtin detention centre have sent a letter to Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Immigration Minister Scott Morrison appealing for the government to release them on bridging visas. (The translated text of the petition is below; the original petition in Sinhalese is below.)
The sixty asylum seekers are among hundreds who are in limbo due to what appears to be an unannounced government freeze on bridging visas alongside its imposed freeze on protection visas until July 2014.
“The government freeze on bridging visas has condemned hundreds of asylum seekers who arrived before the implementation of the Pacific Solution on 19 July to at least another six months in detention. It is an entirely arbitrary decision. They are being held on the whim of the Minister,” said Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition.
“The vast majority of asylum seekers who arrived before July 19 have been released on bridging visas. There is no good explanation for the continued detention of those who also arrived before the 19 July. There should be one rule for asylum seekers in the same situation – but some have been released, while others are languishing in detention.
“Most of the people who have signed the petition have been in detention for up to a year with no indication that the government has any plans to begin their refugee processing. The effects of long-term detention on the mental health of asylum seekers are well known. The Minister is recklessly playing God with their lives and with their health and wellbeing.
“In Curtin itself, there are also around 250 asylum seekers brought from Nauru in October, who have already been processed on Nauru, with the help of Australian lawyers. Most of them are likely to have been found to be refugees.
“Asylum seekers brought from Nauru to Australia before October have been released on bridging visas, while the 250 brought in October are being held.
“It is long past time to release all those waiting for refugee assessment on bridging visas. We appeal to Scott Morrison to positively respond to the Curtin petition,” said Rintoul.
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
Text of petition sent to the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister on 9 Dec:
Petition for a bridging visa policy
We came to Australia to protect our lives and most of us were kept in several refugee camps in Australia. We were in those camps more than one year and currently we are in Curtin Immigration camp.
We heard about the decision you have taken on refugees [ie the announcement that there would be no protection visas granted until next July- ed]. Until now, we were having some hope [about the future]. Immigration officers and Serco officers were helping us to keep our minds healthy. After this decision our mental and psychological condition is deteriorating day by day.
We always respect the decisions taken by you and the Australian government. We also wish to inform you that we always respect the rules and regulations in Australia.
We kindly request that you implement a bridging visa policy until you take a decision for refugee visas. This will at least give us some peace of mind.
We present this letter with signatures of 60 people and please be kind enough to consider this for your future decisions.
