Human Rights

2007 marks the 10th anniversary of our federal government denying thousands of asylum seekers the right to work, income and health care.  By doing so they force asylum seeker families into a life of destitution, hunger, homelessness, ill health and despair.  The ASRC is making 2007 the year that we fight to get the government to end destitution for asylum seekers by ending Bridging Visa E’s and guaranteeing all people seeking asylum a fair go. It’s immoral to force people seeking asylum in Australia to become homeless and live in poverty.

On Friday night the 11th of May 2007 we are seeking as many people as possible to join us in sleeping outside the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (in the city) for the night to raise awareness about the desperate plight of asylum seekers to the public, politicians and the media and pressure our government to end poverty for asylum seekers which it can do with a strike of a pen by ending our unjust laws. 

Much more information coming soon about this sleepout on our website, including how to register to join us for the night and how you can get people to sponsor you to raise funds to help the ASRC care for asylum seekers living in poverty. 

Click below to watch an amazing animated short film by the UK refugee council that captures the tragic situation facing asylum seekers in our communities. 

Hear the stories of refugees  

“Any decision by the Immigration department to over-rule medical and legal opinion and return 2 mentally ill men to detention in the Port Augusta Housing Project places their lives at risk”, says Pamela Curr of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC).

“Last week a frail, sick woman was found unconscious and barely breathing in the same place of detention”.

Initial concerns were that she had taken an overdose however it was later confirmed that she had taken no food or water for 10 days. Severe dehydration and malnutrition were the cause of her collapse. Since August last year advocates calls for care for this desperately depressed and frightened woman have been ignored by the department. “Guards have no training in the care of sick people and no one noticed that she was not eating or drinking”,  Curr continues, “Surely this is proof that sick people are not safe in detention”.

“Sadly the department is returning to the bad old days before Cornelia Rau when  mentally ill detainees were shackled in a suicide belt with cuffed ankles and a helmet and placed in isolation cells in the Management unit”, says Curr.  “Instead of shackles they are placing two guards to stand over the men 24 hours a day” This may prevent suicide but it is not a therapeutic environment and will not enable them to recover.”

“The care of sick detainees is of rising concern as the department is ignoring treating doctor’s advice and moving these patients back into the same toxic environment which made them sick in the first place. It took several court cases before detainees were given the sort of medical care which Australians have as a right”. says Curr. “Some detainees have been shuffled in up to 3 hospitals in different states as the department seeks the medical opinion they desire”.

“ We ask the department that they be guided by both the doctors and patient guardians and allow these 2 men to be treated with dignity and respect and consent to their  recovery in a therapeutic environment – not locked up in detention,” says Curr.