The Refugee Action Coalition has called a protest for 10am, Monday 23 December, at NSW Law Building, Philip Street, City.<\/p>\n
The protest is calling on the Immigration Minister Scott Morrrson to act immediately to stop the imminent deportation of Faisal, a 21 year-old Iraqi asylum seeker (photo available).<\/p>\n
Faisal, a Sunni, was forced to leave Iraq in 2012 as a result of sectarian violence which had already led to his brother\u2019s disappearance. Since arriving in Australia, he has been living in the community on a Bridging Visa. He is now in Villawood awaiting deportation.<\/p>\n
This is happening even though the Immigration Department knew that he has been denied the opportunity to pursue the legal avenues open to him to stay here. Faisal believed that he had an application pending with the Federal Court \u2013 but his unscrupulous and fraudulent immigration agent had never even submitted the papers ( see Immigration newsroom 30\/4\/2013 regarding Toufic Laba Sarkis whi is facing charges in the Downing Centre).<\/p>\n
Last Tuesday (17 December), a last-minute injunction ordered the government not to deport him, even as he had already boarded the plane. That injunction expires on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, 24 December, 4pm.<\/p>\n
A judgement hearing on Tuesday morning, 24 December will determine whether or not the man\u2019s removal to Baghdad goes ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Minister has an ounce of compassion, he will act to stop the man\u2019s removal,\u201d said Nick Reimer, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition. \u201cThis asylum seeker has been represented by a migration agent that the Minister knows to be shonky. There is an advice on the Immigration Department web site warning about the migration agent involved in this case but the Minister has refused to act.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a complete travesty. Faisal has not had the chance to even put his case properly to the courts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is more than enough reason for the Minister to intervene, but to send his back to Iraq in the present situation, the Minister is playing with his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cBaghdad is one of the most dangerous cities in the world and Iraq one of the most unstable countries. One hundred and twenty-three people have been killed in sectarian violence in December so far. The Minister must act,\u201d said Rintoul.<\/p>\n
For more information contact: Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713; Nick Riemer 0481 339 937<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Refugee Action Coalition has called a protest for 10am, Monday 23 December, at NSW Law Building, Philip Street, City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311091,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-press-releases"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t