{"id":361,"date":"2010-09-02T01:39:33","date_gmt":"2010-09-02T01:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/refugeeactioncoalitionsydney.wordpress.com\/?p=361"},"modified":"2010-09-02T01:39:33","modified_gmt":"2010-09-02T01:39:33","slug":"rally-to-support-darwin-asylum-seekers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/refugeeaction.org.au\/?p=361","title":{"rendered":"Rally to support Darwin asylum\u00a0seekers"},"content":{"rendered":"

End mandatory detention
\nEnd offshore detention<\/strong><\/p>\n

Outside Dept of Immigration
\nLee St (next to Railway Square, Central)
\n12.30 Friday 3 Sept<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speakers include Sylvia Hale (NSW Greens), Ian Rintoul (RAC)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe strongly condemn the refusal by the police and the Department of Immigration to provide water to the protesting asylum seekers. It is another disgraceful episode in the mistreatment of asylum seekers. This deliberate \u2018negotiating strategy\u2019 has resulted in 15 asylum seekers being hospitalised for dehydration,\u201d said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsylum seekers are not criminals. They have a right to protest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Many of the Afghan asylum seekers were told they were on an \u2018approval pathway\u2019 when they were transferred to from Christmas Island to Darwin detention centre. Since the visa freeze announcement, rejection rates have dramatically increased, although up to 90 per cent of these rejection are being overturned on appeal.<\/p>\n

The Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) has been told by Darwin detainees that a high number of Afghans received rejection notices in the last week or two. The legality of off-shore processing is the subject of a test case currently being considered by the High Court.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Afghan asylum seekers are the victims of mandatory detention and offshore processing. Offshore processing is obviously open to political manipulation. There is no other way to explain the increased rates of rejections,\u201d said Rintoul.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe uncertainty that surrounds their claims and the conditions inside the detention centre add to their distress. Mandatory detention is condemning asylum seekers to months and years of detention. The \u2018mental illness factories\u2019 should be closed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

End mandatory detention End offshore detention Outside Dept of Immigration Lee St (next to Railway Square, Central) 12.30 Friday 3 Sept Speakers include Sylvia Hale (NSW Greens), Ian Rintoul (RAC) \u201cWe strongly condemn the refusal by the police and the Department of Immigration to provide water to the protesting asylum seekers. It is another disgraceful […]<\/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,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-past-actions"],"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