Eleven of the 21 Sinhalese Sri Lankan asylum seekers at Curtin detention centre have begun a hunger strike.
The hunger strike, in protest at the long delays in the processing of the refugee claims began at noon, Wednesday 13 August. Out of the 21 Sinhalese at Curtin detention centre, 13 have been in detention two years or more.
All eleven hunger strikers have been screened in; some have been accepted as refugees; some have even signed the code of conduct statement – usually the final step before being granted a visa.
One of the hunger strikers has been in detention since 2009 – over five years.
“The shocking bureaucratic delays in processing are one of the lesser known injustices of mandatory detention,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“The delays are inexcusable. To keep asylum seekers who have been found to be refugees in detention is inexplicable. Cases are left sitting on the Minister’s desk while the hope and mental health of asylum seekers ebbs away. In many cases the damage inflicted by long term detention amounts to a life sentence.
“Even secretary of the Immigration Department, Martin Bowles testifying at the Human Rights Commission inquiry agreed that the link between prolonged detention and mental illness was a ‘well-established issue’.
“The ball is in the Minister’s court. ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ has never had a truer meaning.”
The Refugee Action Coalition has called a protest at the Sydney Immigration Department offices, Lee Street, City, 12.30pm Friday 8 August, to highlight the hijacking of the 157 Tamil asylum seekers taken to Nauru and the horrors of detention revealed in the Human Rights Commission inquiry.
For more information contact Ian Rintoul mob 0417 275 713
