06/05/2013

Last week UNHCR and other ?humanitarian? agencies attempted to expel refugees out of Choucha refugee camp in Tunisia and close it down. http://chouchaprotest.noblogs.org/

228 refugees in this camp who are victims of the Libyan crisis and recognised as refugees by UNHCR have been on hunger strike for over a month regarding their removal from the resettlement process yet UNHCR continues to act agressively towards them.

The refugee problem requires a global solution not a regional solution or a national solution and international humanitarian agencies such as UNHCR and the international community have to be held accountable.

Please ACT NOW and urge relevant authorities including the Australian government to provide them with a solution.

1. Sign this electronic petition which RISE has linked to before on facebook to ask for these refugees to be resettled: http://tinyurl.com/choucha-refugees.

2. Write to the Australian Government appointed Panel of ?refugee experts?, Paris Aristotle, Admiral Houston and Professor Michael L?Estrange who wrote the Houston report (http://expertpanelonasylumseekers.dpmc.gov.au/report) and ask them to urge Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister of immigration Brendan O Connor to assist these refugees to come to Australia ?the right way? and provide them with resettlement.

3. Write up your own paper petition to submit to UNHCR Geneva and the Australian government and ask those in your community to sign it and send it in to relevant authorities with a covering letter.