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 apply for asylum through the proper legal process.
Since June 2012, Australia has deported over 1000 Sri Lankans in this manner. Most of these asylum seekers have only been interviewed for about 30 minutes in total by a DIAC official without being informed that they have a right to legal representation and ?screened out? for deportation. This process is called the ?enhanced screening process? and is similar to a policeman interviewing a crime suspect, charging them outside a court of law and jailing them without giving the suspect any access to a lawyer.
A former immigration official Geoff Lake has called the enhanced screening process dangerous and said that he fears the use of this process has resulted in the refoulement of asylum seekers who would have been recognised as refugees under the convention. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-10/asylum-seeker-enhanced-screenings-dangerous-former-official-says/4744628, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/17/australia-refugees-legal-sri-lanka?view=mobile)
ACT NOW and ask for the mass deportations to be stopped by
Emailing:
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd:
http://www.kevinrudd.org.au/contact_kevin
Immigration Minister Tony Burke:
Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au and minister@immi.gov.au
(has worked probono as a lawyer representing refugees!-but seems to be more interested in grabbing votes than protecting lives or legal rights)
Opposition leader Tony Abott:
Tony.Abbott.MP@aph.gov.au
UNHCR Australia:
aulca@unhcr.org
UNHCR Geneva:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/contact_hq
Twitter: Politicians:
@KRuddMP @Tony_Burke @TonyAbbottMHR @ScottMorrisonMP @JulieBishopMP @bobjcarr
UNHCR:
@Refugees
UN Human rights committee SECRETARIAT
@UN_HRC