Eleven Sinhalese asylum seekers in Curtin detention centre suspended their hunger strike on Saturday 9 August, the fourth day of their protest.
The protest was suspended after Curtin’s Serco manager confirmed that immigration case managers will meet with the protesters on Monday afternoon (11 August).
Earlier on Saturday, one of the hunger strikers had been taken to the Curtin medical centre after becoming particularly weak. He was returned to the compound later that day, Saturday 9 August.
The protest started over the lack of any explanation for the long delays in the processing of their protection claims or for the similar delays in processing applications for bridging visas that would at least allow them to be released from detention. One of the hunger strikers has been in detention over five years.
“The ball remains in the Minister’s court. The long delays in detention are inexcusable. The Minister has the discretionary power to promptly deal with these cases,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“But indefinite delays have become a way of administratively punishing asylum seekers in, and out, of detention. There are hundreds and thousands of cases of people in the community whose visas have expired and who have lost jobs, been denied support and many rendered homeless because the immigration department can’t be bothered to extend their bridging visas.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
