More than 100 asylum seekers on Manus Island have sent Clive Palmer a hand-written letter (letter with names redacted below) appealing for him not to exclude them from any deal struck between the government and the Palmer United Party.<\/p>\n
The letter was prompted by the fact that the Palmer United Party was willing to support the government\u2019s proposed \u201cAsylum Seekers Legacy Bill\u201d that would see asylum seekers who arrived after 19 July 2013, but who have not been sent to Manus Island or Nauru, processed and allowed to resettle in Australia, in return for the legislation re-instating temporary protection visas.<\/p>\n
The letter appeals to Palmer not to ignore the fate of those on Manus, who arrived on the same boats as those on Christmas Island, but who were arbitrarily selected and sent to Manus Island.<\/p>\n
The letter comes as the campaign against the \u201cAsylum Legacy Bill\u201d intensifies.<\/p>\n
\u201cMP\u2019s electorate offices are being bombarded with calls and emails calling for them to oppose temporary protection visas and to vote down the whole of the legacy bill,\u201d said Ian Rintoul, on behalf of the Refugee Action Coalition.<\/p>\n
\u201cScott Morrison is attempting to sweep away fundamental rights of asylum seekers and to recast Australian law regarding the definition and treatment of asylum seekers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bill would give enormous powers to screen out asylum seekers\u2019 applications and remove appeal rights. Temporary protection visas would leave the thousands of asylum seekers both on Christmas Island and those denied processing in the community in permanent limbo \u2013 denied family re-union and other rights for life. It would be a life sentence for them and their families despite being recognised as refugees needing protection.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd, as the letter states, it would create two classes of refugees \u2013 those in Australia and those who were arbitrarily selected to be sent offshore and are denied any right to resettlement in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bill must be defeated. The government\u2019s own parliamentary committee on human rights has questioned whether the Bill undermines the government\u2019s human rights obligations. Enough said.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/refugeeaction.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Letter-to-Clive-Palmer.jpg\" "\\"Letter")
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