We eX-detainees, refugees and asylum seekers Call for Immediate Action from the Governments and relevant community organisations to improve youth and family support services for community safety and stability. We are not your sidekicks or slogans.
We also call on the community members that while we face these challenges, we need more long term strategies and community informed solutions that address the root causes. The reason we are all here now is because of the mismanagement of government and relevant social institutions. They react only after they see our dead bodies. The answer is not policing or militarialised practices. There is a reason why a 12 year old was part of this incident. Our community deserves long term meaningful community safeguards not reactive policies.
Many young Vietnamese refugees who arrived to Australia as unaccompanied minors and young people did not receive proper care and support, leading to drug addiction and petty crimes for survival. Many of these people have been held in indefinite immigration detention as stateless people. The Australian government has attempted to deport them on ‘character’ grounds despite the state’s failure in providing them proper care and support. Most of their families are in Australia and the Vietnamese government refuses to take them back leaving them in limbo.
About the Violent Incident
On 01/08/2026, Mr X, a Vietnamese refugee who owns Hong Hung Grocery in Sunshine, Victoria came to aid a nearby shop worker after hearing a fight breaking out on the street with some teenagers over suspected shoplifting. He was violently assaulted resulting in him sustaining critical injuries. He passed away on 06/08/2026 in the hospital.
One of the foundational roots of RISE’s work was the running of youth-led projects which involved engaging with refugee youth who had interactions with the law and justice system.
As refugees who are frequently racially profiled by the police, we call on our communities to be informed of
- Police racial profiling on our communities
- The fact that immigration detention camps were established to target Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees fleeing persecution
- The urgent needs to address social-political-economic issues leading to young people engaging in harmful behaviours to themselves and others
Reasons for Young People to Engage in Harmful Behaviours to Themselves and Others
RISE eX-detainees works with many young refugees who have had contact with the law and the justice system.
Below are the reasons on why young people engage in harmful behaviours to themselves and others:
- Intergenerational trauma or trauma
- Social exclusion and discrimination based on colour and gender
- Poverty and homelessness
- Lack of activities and safe spaces to hang out
- Unstable family environments, family violence and limited family support services
- Lack of free or low-cost community-based support for mental health and wellbeing apart from large NGO conglomerates like Headspace, Kids help line and Foundation house.
- Falling through the cracks in the system with inadequate support and negligence
- Feeling unwanted and unheard
A recent report from the ABC highlights the government’s neglect, inadequate care and abuse by carers of children who are in the Child Protection system also leads children to come in contact with trap houses to seek safety, where they are further abused and forced to engage in harmful activities in exchange for shelter. Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-23/abc-investigation-exploitation-children-residential-care/106940346
If children are able to go to school, and they are content, satisfied and happy both at home and at school, as well as having positive connections with the community, would they use drugs, kill people, bash people, steal/shoplift, vandalise?
Recidivism Rate Amongst Young People is very high
Statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that most (84%) children who were sentenced to prison reoffend and come back to prison after they are released within 12 months. (Source: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/youth-justice/young-people-returning-to-youth-justice-2023-24/contents/about).
Our communities know too well that policing and punishment are not the answer to address harmful behaviours from children and young people, due to the reasons stated above.
Mental Health Crisis in Victoria
While the governments and politicians focus only on more policing and punishment for ragebait, they fail to acknowledge that there is an ongoing youth mental health crisis in Victoria, particularly after the COVID pandemic, with many people including children and young people unable to access timely mental health support and treatment from both public and private mental health services, including Royal Children’s Hospital discharged suicidal teen after medical gaslighting and teen suicide despite family’s desperate plea for help, all are what our members experience over the past few years.
Critical services in Victoria being closed down
A prominent community health organisation Melbourne located near public housing towers – cohealth – has closed their counselling and pharmacy services at cohealth Footscray, Kensington, Fitzroy and Collingwood, and stopped accepting new patients for even their GP clinic for years.
Melton City Council neglects their Taylors Hill Youth and Community Centre (THYCC) despite the needs and growing population in the area. A RISE member’s relative was referred to Melton Youth Services in 2023 only to find that there was no safe space for them to have a meeting as the THYCC was closed. To date, there has been no follow up with the young person despite their history of suicide.
The Victorian government permanently closed down the Parentline in 10/2025 after 25 years of operation.
CareInMind Free 24/7 Counselling service for North-Western Melbourne has closed permanently in 06/2026 after 9 years of operation.
It is now not possible to directly refer people to Child First service without going through a gate-keeping system called Orange Door.
It is almost impossible to secure public housing for families.
Safe and accessible crisis accommodation, especially supported accommodation is almost impossible to get into.
Supported accommodation for people with chronic illnesses like Foleys House in Footscray are closing down, and Sumner House in Fitzroy has reduced services.
We call on our communities to focus on support to all people affected by this violence, as well as long term trauma-informed solutions that address all of the issues outlined above.
RISE eX-detainees
About RISE eX-detainees
RISE eX-detainees is a registered not-for-profit organisation governed and led by eX-detainees based in Naarm (Melbourne). Our main focus at RISE eX-detainees is to advocate for the abolition of Australia’s cruel Refugee policies including mandatory detention and as well as global policies that adversely impact on our members.
If you need support, contact your local council or Lifeline 13 11 14.