Thanks to all volunteers and those who supported our Sanction Australia campaign during the Australian Federal Election 2019. Here are some points we have noticed during this period: 1. Stop Arguing with eX-detainees! Those folks who questioned us and left abusive...

Introduction As is well known, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is an atheist revolutionary party that believes in atheism, materialism, and evolution. It has publicly declared that ?there has never been any Savior.? Its ideological and theoretical basis is...

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...

The Australian Government recently announced the reopening of Christmas Island Detention Centre, which proves their hostility and brutality against asylum seekers coming by boats, and is a continuation of using refugees and asylum seekers as political pawns for their...

Hakeem Al-Araibi has been recognised as a refugee and granted permanent protection by the Australian government. Last week, while he was in Thailand, he was taken by the Thai authorities to an immigration detention centre and told he will not be sent back to...

A Breakdown of the health and education institutions currently financially tied to security companies complicit in ongoing detention torture. There have been countless reports and inquiries regarding the deaths, torture and sexual abuse faced by refugees who have been...

THE ?LIFETIME BAN? BILL The Migration Legislation Amendment (Regional Processing Cohort) Bill 2016 ? the ?Lifetime Ban? Bill ? was introduced and passed in the House of Representatives in November 2016. It has been before the Senate since that time; The Bill will...

By RISE Vietnamese Member who seeks asylum in Australia. (Scroll down for English version) Thuy?n nh?n Vi?t Nam xin t? n?n ?ang b? ?e do? tr?c xu?t v? n??c, c?ng ??ng ng??i Vi?t ph?i l?m sao? C?c thuy?n nh?n Vi?t Nam v?a ??n ?c h?m 27/08/2018 ?? b? c?c ng??i d?n ??a...

?NOT ALL DISABILITIES ARE VISIBLE?? by Nguyen Hong Duc When I started out as RISE?s Ability Rights worker two years ago, my role is to find supports for refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities. What I found was a distinctive lack of services across the migration...

Recently, in the last few weeks, RISE: Refugee Survivors and Ex-detainees? transgender members who were coercively assigned female at birth and are living in the community, raised concerns about the removal of Primoteston Depot (a form of testosterone injection) from...

RISE members including offshore and onshore eX-detainees strongly condemn successive Australian governments for holding hostage our community members in Manus and Nauru torture camps for more than five years now. RISE demands that the Australian government to...

This is the fifth year that RISE: Refugees, Survivors and Ex-detainees, the first self-determined advocacy and welfare organisation in Australia run by Refugees for Refugees continues to call for a boycott of Refugee week. ?Meanwhile almost every agency across the...

The past two months have been horrific for the people under siege in Gaza. They have historically attempted for several weeks to protest at the border of Israel?s 12 year air, sea and land blockage and demand their right of return to 1948 areas now occupied by Israeli...

Members of the First Nations and eX-detainees from RISE have consulted to produce this solidarity statement and call for all supporters to boycott the Stolenwealth (?commonwealth?) Games which is to be held in Queensland, Gold Coast in Australia in April 2018....

On the event of Asean-Australia Special Summit, we Rohingya community from Australia would like to call the Australian government to raise cases of ongoing genocide, ethnic cleansing against Rohingya community in Arakan (Rakhine) state of western Burma (Myanmar). The...

We, Chinese Christians of the church of almighty god request Australian government to pay more attention on our protection claims in Australia We are Christians of the Church of Almighty God (CAG) seeking protection in Australia. Group of us arrived to Australia in...

RISE: Refugees, Survivors and Ex-detainees is the first welfare and advocacy organisation governed entirely by refugees, asylum seekers and ex-detainees in Australia. RISE represents over 30 refugee community groups in Australia and located in Melbourne. In October...

Dear Supporter, This month RISE is launching our New Year's Appeal for 2018. Your support will allow us to continue challenging the harmful and xenophobic refugee policies and discourses which surround eX-detainees, refugees and asylum seekers and pervade social and...

1. Contact human rights and civil society groups. Ask them to publicly sanction Australia for torture of refugees. 2. Pressure the UN to sanction Australia for refugee rights violations and from participating in any refugee/humanitarian and human rights decision...

1. Contact human rights and civil society groups within your region. Ask them to publicly sanction Australia for torture of refugees. 2. Pressure the UN to sanction Australia for refugee rights violations and from participating in any refugee/humanitarian and human...

This request is coming from RISE eX-detainees, calling for national and international wide action against the Australian Government for its inhumane treatment of refugees on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. Firstly we like to thank everyone for supporting our call...

#MelbourneCup Twitter storm to bring attention to the Crisis faced by Refugees in Manus When Tuesday, 7th of November 2017 (Time: 14:45 - 18:45 hours EST Australia ) What? RISE:Refugee Survivors and ex-detainees call on our supporters to join a Twitter Storm by...

RISE ex-detainees urgently requests protests and other actions to be held next Tuesday, 7th November 2017 on Melbourne Cup day, a high profile international event, to bring to the world?s attention the escalating crisis faced by detainees held hostage by the...

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN I.. (name)..... from (location) urge (insert human rights group) to sanction Australia and exclude Australia from participation in all international humanitarian and human rights decision making processes. Australia has been committing crimes...

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, Immediate action has to be taken on this, as Australia has become infamous as a resource centre for many other countries to shape anti-refugee policies. On behalf of our members and governing staff from over 30 refugee and ex-detainee...

TAKE ACTION AGAINST AUSTRALIAN REFUGEE RIGHTS VIOLATIONS! We ex-detainees from RISE: Refugee Survivors and Ex-detainees urge international human rights groups and the UN to sanction Australia and exclude Australia from participation in all international humanitarian...

?As ex-detainees in Australia, we acknowledge that the land we seek protection on is the land of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples? We, ex-detainees at RISE in Australia, mark the 3rd of September 2017 as Ex-Detainees? Day, for all asylum seekers and...

As an extension of our ongoing work and last year?s #SovereigntySanctuary launch event at the foot of Parliament House of Victoria, RISE will host a panel discussion between First Nation People and Refugees who have sought protection in Australia (16/09/2017, 2pm,...

RISE: Refugees,Survivors and Ex-detainees will be boycotting ?Refugee week? and ?World Refugee day? for the fourth year running in Australia. It would be unconscionable for us to partake in this macabre circus while the crisis of hyper militarisation and abuse faced...

Proposed citizenship test simply a pathway to a new White Australia policy - Ramesh Fernandez The announcement of a new citizenship test by the Australian Government clearly discriminates against people coming from non-English speaking backgrounds. It is also a direct...

1. RISE is autonomously run by refugees, mainly ex-detainees 2. I'm a refugee & a person of colour 3. RISE doesn't use images of refugees to gain funding 4. RISE is founded by an ex-detainee 5. RISE board and staff are from refugee backgrounds 6. RISE supports...

RISE (Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees) is thrilled to announce that our Arts Director has been offered a unique opportunity to receive mentorship at the International Community Arts Festival (ICAF) in the Netherlands from January ? 02 April 2017. In order for our...

Dear RISE members and supporters, As you know, last week RISE started the #BlockTheBill campaign after members of parliament in Australia?s lower house passed the bill for a lifetime ban of refugees coming by boat.The lifetime ban of refugees bill has NOT yet been...

Four days ago, we reported that a RISE member was assaulted by 4 white men. It has happened again on Wednesday night. The same group of 4 white men, armed with the same weapons, verbally abused him and chased him into a restaurant. Our member (an asylum seeker) was...

#BlockTheBill Campaign Video Message by RISE: Refugee Survivors and Ex-detainees Video Transcript : To The People of Australia, As you know last week, RISE started the #BlockTheBill campaign after members of parliament in Australia?s lower house passed the bill for a...

On behalf of our members and governing staff from over 30 of the refugee and ex-detainee communities in Australia, RISE urges the Australian public to say NO to the Turnbull government?s plan to introduce legislation to ban asylum seekers who arrive by boat from ever...

"Australia?s boat turn-back policy and indefinite detention of refugees is both inhumane and illegal." - by Fadak Alfayadh, RISE Director In the span of two days, Tony Abbott has urged European leaders to ?stand guard? against the recent and ongoing movement of...

RE: Six Questions from eX-detainee survivors about Save the Children-Australia's role in Australia's Nauru and Manus Asylum seeker Detention and Abuse supply chain. RISE: Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees is the first and only refugee organisation in Australia that...

Ex-detainees? day for Asylum Seekers and Refugees, 3rd of September 2016. "We refugees and asylum seekers need protection NOT detention". We, Ex-detainees at RISE in Australia, mark the 3rd of September as Ex-Detainees? Day for all Asylum Seekers and Refugees who have...

Refugees, asylum seekers and ex-detainees were called for a meeting with a government subcontracted community settlement service provider yesterday and told there will be a ?national census? and you all need to provide information. When refugees asked for help due to...

Event details ? Today (Tuesday, 12th July 2016) 6.15pm-7.15pm - here I am writing to complain about your forthcoming event featuring Phillip Ruddock. My name is Abdul Baig. I am a former refugee, now Australian citizen, and I was detained in immigration detention for...

?We do not support any form of detention, doesn?t matter 1 day or 30 days or 1 year? On behalf of our members and governing staff from over 30 of the refugee and ex-detainee communities in Australia, RISE urges the Australian public to say NO to utilising refugees and...

Asylum seekers and refugees have been escorted by guards to hospitals with handcuffs and remain so while waiting for the doctors. Quite often they have to talk to doctors when the guards are present. Are hospitals run by the department of immigration, border force or...

RISE: Refugees,Survivors and Ex-detainees has been boycotting and refusing to partake in ?Refugee week? in Australia for the last three years, largely due to the fact that it has been appropriated as a PR exercise by various groups and individuals that have done...

Refugees coming to Australia are being indefinitely detained both onshore and offshore, involuntarily deported back to their countries to danger and physically and sexually abused in detention centres. As refugees, asylum seekers and ex detainees in Australia, we...

RISE Arts Present 'Vessels To A Story' Exhibition + Series of presentations Six artists and a museum curator will visually and critically respond to the language and stories on refugees and refugee policies, including the language that is often embedded in the books...

Rather than targeting Peter Dutton's racist and xenophobic comment, the media and refugee sector in Australia and overseas responded by "profiling" refugees with degrees & social stability. One of those profiled was not a refugee, instead his grandparents were...

RISE:Refugees, Survivors and Ex-detainees, welcomes the PNG court decision declaring that the Manus Island detention camp run by the Australian government is illegal. However, Australia has a history of dirty politics and disregarding pro-refugee laws. We are cautious...

On the 26th of April 1976, the first boat of Vietnamese people sought refuge in Australia. Forty years on and Vietnamese people continue to flee Vietnam by boat today. It is estimated that there are currently 800 Vietnamese asylum seekers detained in either on-shore...

Stand with us and oppose the refugee trade between the Australian government and Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia. RISE is extremely concerned about the discussion of the refugee trade deal that is basically human trafficking between the Australian government and...

Dear Prime Minister Turnbull Re: reports of 14 Broadspectrum guards (13 male) entering Tent and strip searching Asylum seeker women incarcerated in Nauru RISE: Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees is the first Refugee and asylum seeker welfare and advocacy...

RISE does not endorse any movement or individuals who claim to be pro-refugee but celebrate "Australia day". To link our refugee community to such events and white-wash this history is not just insensitive to the Indigenous communities of Australia but also to most of...

Estimated hours: Negotiable (estimated 2 - 4 hours) (volunteer). Where: A location in Springvale (ten minutes walk from station. A large proportion of work is organising from home. When: Class held 12:30 - 3:30 Sundays (beginning first Sunday in February). Most work...

Estimated hours per fortnight: 4 hours (volunteer) When: Sundays, 12:30 - 3:20 Where: Springvale (10 minute walk from the train station) Who: You will work with the Program Coordinator, Class Facilitators, other Teacher?s Assistants, an English as an Additional...

Dear Friends, We would like to bring to your attention an exciting new initiative within RISE. As part of the new RISE drop-in centre we are seeking to establish a community-based performance space. The drop-in centre will provide a platform for aspiring artists in...

The Jordanian government denied Sudanese refugees protection by dehumanising and detaining Sudanese refugees, and then deporting them back to the danger of further persecution in Sudan?by RISE member . RISE highly condemns the forceful deportation of hundreds of...

While Australia's Manus island detention camp was subcontracted to G4S, asylum seeker Reza Barati was killed and other asylum seekers maimed after attacks were carried out by detention staff in 2014. To date no one has been convicted of these crimes. In 2010, Angolan...

RISE is managed, developed, staffed and controlled by people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. Dear Friends, RISE prides itself on being a registered, not-for-profit organisation, and working tirelessly to improve non-government and government policies in...

STOP THE FORCED CLOSURE OF ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA RISE: Refugees Survivors and Ex-detainees condemn the current Australian government?s move to close down and dispossess over 150 Aboriginal communities in Australia. ?We support the global call to action...

The Grand Delusion of Democracy in Myanmar -? by Australian Burmese Rohingya Organization (ABRO) The National League for Democracy (NLD) in Myanmar, led by Nobel peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has won the majority of available seats in Parliament according to the...

There has been a huge influx of artists approaching us in order to find participants for their next project. The artist often claims to want to show ?the human side of the story? through a false sense of neutrality and limited understanding of their own bias,...

Creation of a Racist State? My VISA is my Skin Colour? #MyVisaIsMySkinColour We request that all RISE members and refugees to stay safe during this weekend. We refugees, asylum seekers and ex-detainees at RISE condemn the Federal government?s disturbing announcement...

It?s winter again which means most of the asylum seekers and refugees who are on the bridging visa with no rights and low income are in desperate need of our services. Most must try to make ends meet with a meagre allowance that is less than Newstarts. Buying...

The world has forcibly displaced over 57 million people, the highest number since World War II. Most of the displaced refugees are hosted by non-signatory refugee countries, yet most people who celebrate Refugee week are signatories of the refugee convention. There...

Position Description Division: Case Supporting Program Title: Support Services Coordinator Work Type : 2 days a week Salary : Negotiable Location: Melbourne , Victoria Apply : admin@riserefugee.org (please insert ?SSC position? in the subject) About Support Services...

STOP THE FORCED CLOSURE OF ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA RISE: Refugees Survivors and Ex-detainees condemn the current Australian government's move to close down and dispossess over 150 Aboriginal communities in Australia. ?We support the second global call to...

Dear Members and RISE's Supporters, We are pleased to release our Annual Report for the 2014 financial year. Once This year has been an extremely busy year for RISE as our membership base has grown beyond 2000 members. Members have registered with RISE to access...

25 detained babies born in Australia-and their families (Making up 44 children) ?are to be deported to the Nauru camp as per the recent passing of the Migration Bill by the Australian Senate. OPEN LETTER: What is our crime? What have we done to be punished like this?...

Dear Friends, RISE prides itself on being a registered, not-for-profit organization, working tirelessly to improve non-government and government?policies in relation to refugees/asylum seekers and to generate a positive social change for our community. RISE is...

RISE: Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees joins with over 40 community organisations and academics calling on the Commonwealth Parliament not to rush through changes to Australian counter-terrorism legislation. RISE believes there is a real possibility that the new...

The Indonesian government has claimed it is releasing the President and Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of West Papua (FRWP) on Monday 21 July 2014.? President Forkorus Yaboisembut and Prime Minister Edison Waromi were convicted of treason, along with Selfius...

RISE has sent a second communication in the early hours of the morning to the UN High Commissioner for Human rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment requesting an urgent investigation into the...

(Refugee week)?: Next two days we will be having a social media blackout to mourn for refugees facing death crossing borders by land, sea and air, entering countries where they are imprisoned indefinitely while governments and international NGOs controlled by OECD...

Phnom Penh, 4 June 2014 ? The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) ? a coalition of 21 NGOs working in the field of the promotion Human Rights, Democracy, and Rule of Law in the Kingdom of Cambodia raises serious concerns about Australia?s pending agreement...

It?s nearing winter again which means it?s time to bring out the coats. With the success of last year?s Winter Coat Appeal, RISE is once again welcoming donations of quality winter clothing. Unfortunately, many of our members endure the cold winter months without...

Dearest XXXXX Please TELL people of AUSTRALIA that the AUS GOV is spending your taxes just to keep many innocent and defenceless asylum seekers in detentions which there is no difference between them and pigsties. What is it?s benefit for people of AUSTRALIA? THEY PAY...

Dear xxx. hi In manus camps, at the moment we all face many problems. The gym equipments are very few and poor. The medical has a very poor condition too. When a sick asylum seeker goes to the medical,some doctors and nurses(not all of them) tell him that you are not...

A message of thanks from asylum seekers in Australia?s offshore detention camps in response to the coverage their letter and poem from Manus Island (http://riserefugee.org/post/82338911881/letter-and-poem-from-manus-island-detention-camp-with) received at the Palm...

I am writing from Manus Island Detention Camp. We left our homes because of a variety of reasons. We found Australia thinking this would be a place of shelter. We had different reasons for stepping into this very dangerous and so suffering journey. But all of us...

Dear Friends, RISE prides itself on being a registered, not-for-profit organization, working tirelessly to improve non-government and government? policies in relation to refugees/asylum seekers and to generate a positive social change for our community. RISE is...

RISE does not endorse any movement that claims to be pro-refugee but celebrates ?Australia day?. To link our community to such events and white-wash this history is not just insensitive to the indigenous communities of Australia but also to most of us from...

Dear Friends, We would like to bring to your attention an exciting new initiative within RISE. As part of the RISE Cypher Project we are seeking to establish a community based recording studio. The RISE music studio will give opportunities to aspiring young artists to...

RISE is concerned by reports of a dangerous, grossly negligent and unethical undertaking by Australian Lebanese community leaders Jamal Rifi and Sheikh Malek Zeidan undertaking a trip to Manus Island and Nauru detention centres to urge Lebanese asylum seekers to ?Go...

Wednesday 1st of January 2014 As this year ends, the death due to starvation of 15 Palestinian refugees trapped with 20?000 other Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus due to the current conflict in Syria is in the news. ?Before the war broke out in...

Monday 30 December 2013 Many in the Australian refugee advocacy movement would have read or heard of an article in the Monthly about ?Why Australia hates asylum seekers? by Christos Tsiolkas. Yet very little has been said regarding the editor of this same publication,...

In some detention centres in Australia, female asylum seekers/refugees have to go to SERCO officers to ask for tampons/pads & given just 1 or 2 at a time. Keep in mind SERCO has been given millions of dollars to ?service? immigration detention centres...

"We?ve abolished slavery & capital punishment yet we?ll let a person die for overstaying a visa" If we in Australia do not respond to this and UK succeeds in this deportation-it is a green light to all governments including our own to continue treating asylum...

"20 years working for your rights"?looks as though they haven?t done a good job. Things have got worse in the last 20 yrs with the highest number of refugees this year since 19 yrs ago! -Post on your facebook with this hashtag #UNRightsAt20 -Post on...

ACT NOW: Sri Lanka to use Aussie gift boats to stop refugee boats and Tony Abbott is going to sign a new MOU between Sri Lankan and Australian Navy . Also on reports of alleged torture by Sri Lankan security forces, Mr Abbott told reporters that while his government...

A group of 45 members of the Afghan Parliament have written to Prime Minister Tony Abbott appealing to him to reconsider the government?s proposal to re-introduce Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs). The translated text of the letter is below. To: The Hon Tony Abbott,...

Today, a Tamil refugee attempted to hang himself in a Melbourne immigration detention (MITA) after being detained indefintiely for nearly 4 years.? It is two years after the death of ?S?, another Tamil refugee in Villawood immigration detention centre in Sydney who...

Suicide Attempt yesterday (14/10/2013) in Melbourne immigration transit accommodation: Refugee, M47, a father and husband, separated from his family for more than 6 years, detained administratively in transition countries and now indefinitely detained in Australia for...

Vietnamese asylum seekers in Australia?s immigration detention centres are in danger of being deported without being allowed to apply for asylum (?screened out?). Reports surfaced last month that Vietnamese immigration police officers were allowed into Yongah hill by...

STOP Mass deportation of Sri Lankan asylum seekers planned this week by Australia and SAVE LIVES: The Australian government is planning to deport scores of Sri Lankan asylum seekers to potential danger from Christmas Island over the next week WITHOUT allowing them to...

The lives of the Syrian people are sacrificed and crushed between the geopolitical interests of industrialised countries who hold power in the UN. Australia is a member of the UN security council yet all Australian politicians including Foreign Minister Bob Carr talk...

02/08/2013 Kevin Rudd's ironic plan to banish asylum-seekers to PNG is a cruel deceit on its moral obligation as a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention. In 2011 the Australian government was quick to act on live export of cattle to Indonesia but the...

?Seeking asylum is not a crime? - RISE Awareness campaign Who we are RISE: Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees is a not-for-profit incorporated association. RISE is the first refugee and asylum seeker welfare and advocacy organisation in Australia to be governed by...

RISE (Refugees, survivors and ex-detainees) is the first refugee organisation in Australia and one of the few in the world that uses the model of self-empowerment for sustainable community development, where our organisation is not just run by members from the refugee...

RISE will deliver its first storytelling workshops this August, in partnership with Chicago?s 2nd Story who deliver unique storytelling experiences that provoke and challenge. The workshops are a facilitated introduction to performance storytelling, a movement...

"Mr Aristotle argues that one way of allaying ?pull factor? anxieties would be to commit to ?more places further up the line in Pakistan and Iran, before people have to depart and begin their journey?."...

As politicians and anti-refugee lobby groups capitalise on the latest tragedy at Christmas island to hysterically ask for tighter border control to purportedly prevent ?deaths at sea? we would like to bring to your attention this reference to ?Reluctant Rescuers? a...

The government has implemented this policy after the Houston panel report (http://riserefugee.org/post/44741347237/exposed-refugee-expert-panel-recommendations) recommended that refugees who came by boat should not be allowed to apply to bring their immediate family...

Refugee Day 7pm, Thursday 20 JUNE 20, State Library of Victoria To mark Refugee Day on Thursday 20 June, RISE and the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) present an evening of film, performance and discussion at the State Library. New Land, New Life brings together...

Sixty five racist jokes were found on the mobile phone of one of the G4S security guards who was restraining an Angolan asylum seeker Jimmy Mubenga who died in their hands during deportation from the UK in 2010. In a police interview given shortly after Mubenga?s...

Stop the refoulement of 14 Sri Lankan Tamil Asylum Seekers! The Australian government has separated 14 Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers, 4 men, 3 women and 6 children (including a 6 month old baby), who arrived by boat and were detained in a remote immigration...

Winter is fast approaching and we?re all feeling the chill. Unfortunately, many of our members endure the cold winter months without heating or even adequate clothing to keep them warm.? At present there are over 9000 asylum seekers on bridging visas and around 4000...

RISE is an organisation not just run by people of asylum seeker and refugee background but also governed by people from our communities. This means that members of the community are also the decision makers. RISE also made the difficult choice of not taking funding...

Today is day three of a mass hunger strike by 28 refugees in Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (MITA) in a Melbourne suburb called Broadmeadows.? These refugees, have been given refugee status and then assessed by ASIO (Australian Security intelligence...

RISE asks other refugee advocacy groups to come out of the closet and CALL OUT Paris Aristotle who has built his career as a self-proclaimed refugee advocate as shown in this article in the Sydney Morning Herald...

Support one of the events by being part of it or make a donation 1. RUN MELBOURNE 2013 Would you like to be a PROUD RUNNER for the first refugee and asylum seeker welfare and advocacy organisation in Australia to be run largely by refugees, asylum seekers, and...

EXPOSED ? Refugee Expert Panel? recommendations by Melbourne Anti-Deportation. The expert panel was set up by the Government in an attempt to stop the ?BOATS? Who are the people behind this recommendation? Paris Aristotle - Director of Foundation House Michael...

We?re here to say that - whether displayed online or on the street; whether through the cultural glass ceiling, or the systemic disadvantage experienced by our First Peoples - racism exists in Australia. - Helen Szoke, Race Discrimination Commissioner, Australian...

The new Australian Minister for Immigration Brendan O?Connor is likely to fit quite smoothly into the new role of being Minister for Border Security aka ?Immigration?. In 2009, as the Minister of Home affairs, Brendan O?Connor attended an interpol meeting in Singapore...

It is a concern that the Australian media, as well as a number of Australian human rights activists, are not aware of the political context surrounding the economic crisis these fishermen are facing. The news reports written by journalists such as Ben Doherty from The...

Thailand?s Rohingya Issues need Domestic and International Mechanisms Early in January, issues about the Rohingya coming to Thailand once again became a hot topic as news about the interception of Rohingya boats off a tourist island and reports of police raids on...

As the Hazara community mourns deaths in Quetta, please keep in mind that the Australian government is working with Pakistani intelligence to stop Hazara people from fleeing Pakistan to safety in Australia. Take action and express your concerns to Bob Carr, Julia...

Short Films - Theatre - Panel Discussion on Diversity RISE delighted to invite you to *Diversity on Stage and Screen*   *A short film and theatre presentation followed by a panel discussion about diversity on the theatre stage and film and television screens?...

Alert:Omid-Nauru Asylum seeker left in tent after 46 day Hunger Strike Dear Ms. Navaneetham Pillay, I am emailing on behalf of RISE (Refugees, Survivors and Ex-detainees) a not-for-profit incorporated organisation founded and overseen by refugees, asylum seekers and...

Please circulate this alert widely amongst your networks! These asylum seekers are detained in the remote island of Christmas Island and have been denied access to legal representation or any other independent support groups. This isolation makes it easier for the...

Say NO to The Detention Industry and making money out of human misery. RISE is aware of a number of members from the refugee and immigrant community as well as the wider community being approached by detention service providers such as SERCO, AMES, IHMS and DIAC...

Australia?s refugee community includes Rohingya individuals from Myanmar. As reported by the UNHCR, the Rohingya in Myanmar are one of the most oppressed communities in the world. With the refugee issue being a global issue, RISE (Refugees, Survivors, Ex-detainees)...

27.10.2012 RISE: Refugees, Survivors & Ex-Detainees, the first refugee and asylum seeker support and advocacy organisation in Australia to by run by people of asylum seeker and refugee background, offers its full support and solidarity with those being held in...

Starting in January 2013, RISE: Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees will be running? professional anti-racism training for the staff and/or volunteers of organisations that regularly interact with individuals who experience racism. We aim to provide participants with...

RISE?s tutoring program for refugees and asylum seekers fills a gap in the community - it is a free pre-intermediate program, run by volunteers and qualified teachers, targeting students with some English language skills so that they will be able to improve to the...

Asylum seekers who have endured hardships, to cross many borders and reach the open seas with barely $2 left in their pockets, are being punished and politicised as queue jumpers. The general public are asking, ?Why don?t they come the ?right? way? But if you are an...

30/07/2012 After the forcible return in the face of desperate pleas, and 16 hours of continuous interrogation by Sri Lanka?s notorious Criminal Investigations Department in the presence of Australian authorities, returned Tamil asylum seeker Mr X has become an emblem...

Mr X has just contacted RISE to let us know that he is being taken to Tullamarine Airport to be forcibly deported from Australia to Sri Lanka.

Saturday, 21 July 2012 (Melbourne):?? On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 17, the ALP federal government seized a Tamil refugee, a survivor of torture at the hands of the notorious Sri Lankan security forces, and locked him in a detention centre. They did this to make...

A crime is happening, now. On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 17, the department of immigration seized a Tamil refugee, a survivor of torture at the hands of Sri Lankan security forces, and locked him in a detention centre. They did this to make it easier for them to...

18/07/2012 Since being detained yesterday, Tuesday 17 July by the department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), Mr X continues to face roadblocks in accessing his family, legal team and support workers. SERCO staff at Maribyrnong IDC have repeatedly told Mr X that...

URGENT?CALL FOR ACTION Deportation of Sri Lankan Asylum Seeker with pending UN Torture Investigation 17/07/2012 This afternoon, a Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker who was tortured in Sri Lanka and is currently the victim in a pending investigation by the UN Special...

The ?Family Compound? (also called Sydney Residential Housing Centre-SRHC) in Villawood IDC has been searched and mobile phones confiscated by SERCO yesterday. One of the refugees has also been transferred to the high security Fowler camp in Villawood IDC. About a...

Australia?s policy on refugees continues to be driven by the personal ambitions of politicians in government and opposition who have demonstrated a lack of respect for Australia?s stature as a standard bearer of international laws in the Asia pacific region and a lack...

Dominic Golding (ONE STAR): The theme for this year?s Refugee Week is Restoring Hope. In this vein, the Ethnic Community Council of Victoria (ECCV), Multicultural Arts Victor (MAV) and Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) got the Playback Theatre Company to...

RISE is highly critical of ABC?s Four Corners report on people smuggling which aired on Monday 4 June, 2012 in its failure to address the most pressing aspects of the issue of refugees and asylum seekers. We condemn ABC?s obvious descent into the fear-mongering and...

RISE is extremely concerned about the current, appalling medical situation that refugees and asylum seekers are facing while they are settling in Australia. There are a number of medical cases that have not been properly reviewed or given high priority, as they should...

Asylum seekers and refugees held in MITA (Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation): A man attempted to hang himself this week. Last week a teenager cut his neck. About a week before that a man was admitted to a psychiatric hospital after he was found speaking to...

RISE is concerned by the comments of Scott Morrison, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, who on 27 February 2012 said ?when illegal boats turn up in our waters there will always be the risk that people on these boats will carry serious communicable...

Two days ago I was walking on my way to work and, as always, I have my coffee on Flinders Lane in central Melbourne. While waiting for my coffee, a well-meaning Australian came up to me and asked me what my ethnicity was. I had no idea who he was nor did I know what...

RISE is extremely concerned about the continued raising of an asylum seeker deal between regional and Australian governments, recently rehashed by Independent MP, Rob Oakeshott. Minister for Immigration and Labor MP, Chris Bowen has recently announced his support for...

Both Liberal and Labour parties have cited last year?s protests as ?criminal actions?, but Australian detention centres are being used as crypts to bury the voices and narratives of oppressed men, women and children who are seeking freedom. What democratic options do...

Is this a form of xenophobia or racial discrimination? Seeking asylum is not a crime and it is a right that is upheld by the laws of this land as well as the UN Refugee Convention that our country has pledged to support. Yet in recent times, successive Australian...

A refugee with a psychiatric illness who was granted a protection visa more than a year ago has still not been assisted by government subcontracted settlement service providers to apply for a carer visa to bring a family member over to be with him. He wandered into a...

Two asylum seekers from Scherger detention centre in QLD have to go to court this week without a lawyer and are likely to lose their case because of this. Immigration detention is supposed to be for ?administrative purposes?-does this mean ?doing everything unfair to...

Asylum seeker (wife and two preschool aged children living in conflict zone) detained 1 year and 11 months, attempted to hang himself on Friday. He has been discharged from hospital today and back taken back to Curtin. He slept in a tent for 9 months when he was in...