After 21 days of 24/7 presence at Home Affairs offices (ongoing) in Melbourne, refugees also began camping outside Tony Burke’s electoral office in Punchbowl Sydney. There are plans for similar vigils in Adelaide and Brisbane. So the 24/7 vigil has been running for 24 days overall.
The event has attracted up to 100 refugees from many cultures at any time. (Although separate, an entire shopping centre is reverberating with their chants).
“Permanent Visas Now!”
“Tony, Albo Stop This Limbo!”
“12 Year Limbo – how low can Labor go?”
“Has Burke Got The Will?” (Pun on Bourke & Wills, the explorers)
“Hey Watson, we’re here to build your Ho(l)mes.”
You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to notice that Watson residents are affected. Locals are plying protesters with sweet tea, Tim Tams and pizza. Some have spoken on video about their reasons for doing this.
Former Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil did not meet with affected refugees and the legacy cohort of stranded Fast Track survivors hopes Burke will meet face to face with them as Immigration Minister.
There is progress in the form of a small meeting on Monday between 5 refugees and the electoral office manager of Burke’s office. A representative of the Melbourne protest will be joining that meeting.
The protesters’ immediate goal is to end the uncertainty of temporary visas or statelessness for around 10,000 people who have lived here long term. Some have been here for up to 14 years.
They have each paid a fortune to lawyers, only to have the goalposts move again.
During that time they have been denied various rights including access to affordable health care, tertiary study, finance, family catch ups, recognition as tax contributors, hope. Their childrens’ prospects are also affected.
The Minister needs to engage directly to assure refugees that matters can be resolved simply and systematically as Giles did with the 19,000 already granted permanency.
The cause greatly affects votes in Western Sydney marginal seats. There is a petition up and running for the people of Watson and locals are pitching in with food and support.
Brisbane and Adelaide refugees are joining the protest with matching encampments. Greens representatives have visited.
Thienushan Chandrasekaram is a refugee who cycled most of Australia. He joined the rally from Brisbane today. He needs a permanent resident visa status to become a permanent employee with Ikea, where he has been working continuously for over 3 years. His temporary visa status has also blocked him from representing Australia as a cricketer.
Thanuraj Selvarasa, a survivor from prolonged detention on Manus and in Melbourne is there today. Thanus is blocked from a permanent visa because of his mode of arrival.
People slept on cold concrete to comply with the “no tents” rule after police moved the camp off the median strip near the Cenotaph on Tuesday. Each person has a busy life to return to, which is why the protest presence rotates.
Protesters joining after work will be holding lights tonight at 6pm to emphasise their numbers.
Each individual story is painful. There are torture scars, people on crutches after unregulated and uninsured work injuries, some have had the experience of being blocked from BVE or PR visas, despite being Medevacced after rape by Nauru locals.
If Burke still cares about workplace relations, he needs to clear paths to formal work for the long term stateless and all refugees. Creating a vulnerable economic underclass is hardly helping unionised workers.
Refugees are also invited to donate blood again this week. Some protesters will divert to Lifeblood (mainly in Parramatta) to make blood or plasma donations. The combined total of refugee blood donations for teams so far this year (under the name of two groups) is around 330.
Wider goals
To Do List for Incoming Immigration Minister:
- Close offshore. Bring them here.
- Permanent visas for fast track survivors.
- Recognise refugee contribution and industry.
- Increase humanitarian intake.
- Permanent visas for Medevac refugees on- and offshore.
Please come and see for yourself. By amplifying this story you may help break a 14 year deadlock for vulnerable people whose kids know only Australia.
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