We eX-detainees, asylum seekers and refugees at RISE would like to alert the public that since the Christchurch incident in New Zealand, Australian PM Scott Morrison and his party members are covering themselves in sheep?s clothing for political advantage and exploiting the victims and survivors of the incident. There is a possibility that a cunning politician like Scott Morrison may call an election during this time to regain and advance his position.
At this time we should not forget that the Liberal-National coalition government blocks refugees of all genders and ages coming on boats and in Australia?s offshore torture camps from protection and resettlement in Australia. Who can ignore such white supremacist tactics affecting mostly Muslim refugees, such as as indefinite detention, refusal to let offshore refugees come to the mainland to access proper medical treatment, locking up pregnant refugees, queer refugees, elderly refugees etc and using the immigration department?s paramilitary group Australian Border Force, to fill floating orange capsules with our community members and push them back into the open sea. ?A reminder to all, that the Australian Border Force is the brainchild of none other than Australia?s current Prime Minister-Scott Morrison.
Scott Morrison going around talking to Muslim community groups and people of colour communities does not absolve him from the fact that he and his Liberal and National party colleagues have the blood of our communities on their hands. ?Please remember that the main reason Australian politicians get away with continuously torturing and vilifying our refugee community and making racist refugee policies is because we are one of the most disadvantaged communities. Therefore, our voices need to be heard. ?We have suffered over 26 years because of Australian politicians using the torture of our community members as political currency. Since the last five to ten years refugees (particularly Afghan, stateless Rohingya and Kurdish Refugees) with permanent protection are waiting indefinitely for their citizenship; family reunions are blocked and refugees who came by boat are now being forced into regional areas as indentured labour with little hope for permanent protection. This is happening because of Scott Morrison?s party?s support for extreme cruelty against those of us asking for asylum and permanent protection – to ?protect Australia?s borders?.
For decades, Australian politicians have been stoking racism by misleading the public for political gain. Asylum seekers arriving by boat have been painted as ?queue jumpers? and unscrupulous illegal entrants without morals. The targeting of refugee boats reached a new low with the ?Children Overboard? misinformation campaign during the time of ex-prime minister, John Howard (a mentor of Scott Morrison from the same Liberal party) successfully winning him the 2001 election. This exploitative use of refugee boats as a key wedge strategy to attract votes during the Howard era continues to this day. As we witness Scott Morrison and his crew frantically attempting to reengineer the Liberal party?s political strategy, claiming not to be racist and buying off our community leaders with promises of increased funding and picture opportunities, behind the scenes his party members are fiercely committed to keeping Australia as the last remaining outpost of the british colonial empire.
Furthermore, we cannot escape the fact that Australia has succeeded in enacting and providing the world with a blueprint for contemporary modes of border imperialism. Australia?s unrelenting devotion to its politics of deterrence, built on the foundations of the White Australia policy and the theft of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and maritime resources, demonstrates to us that this country is one that not only allows refugees to be used for political leverage but also applauds its on-going mistreatment of asylum seekers and refugees.
Scott Morrison and his party MUST stop using us as political pawns and stop dumping Australia?s refugee responsibilities to less wealthy countries such as the pacific nations of PNG and Nauru. The recent announcement of the reopening of Christmas Island Detention Centre is evidence that Australia continues its oppressive detention system.
We would also like to make it clear that the Australian Labor Opposition Party, founder of Australia?s mandatory immigration detention regime, and the reopener of Australia?s Manus and Nauru refugee detention camps is no better. ?We cannot avoid the fact that the Australian Labor Party hits the same anti-refugee beats as Scott Morrison?s Liberal-National Coalition.
Enough is enough, we don?t need more inquiries and reports, we want all detention centres to be shut down permanently and restore sanctuary and support to all detained refugees in the community. Your pressure on the Australian government and all Australian politicians to end Australia?s cruelty to Refugees is an act of solidarity and an act of justice.
Respect the intellectual property and hard work of Refugees in creating this document and do not plagiarise.
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