When Labor recently announced without any clear details, that 19000 eX-detainees are “eligible” for permanent visas, Australian journos simply appeared to rehash the government’s PR/media brief and failed to question the Labor Party’s own culpability in Australia’s brutal refugee torture system. News reports were published with minimal research, with token sound bites from a few white saviours in the “refugee support” industry, peppered with stories of trauma from an eX-detainee or two without proper context.
In fact, some Australian journalists were not even aware that eX-detainees on TPV were already allowed to travel overseas to see family based on emergency reasons under the Liberal/National coalition government. Job done – this is journalism in so-called Australia. By not exercising due diligence Australian journalists have normalised the experience of detention torture, rape and the existence of eX-detainee discrimination and violation of refugee rights.
According to these various Australian news outlets, the government says that they will give permanent residency to 19000 refugees “early next year”. “Next year” is in fact tomorrow! – yet, not a single journalist has questioned what “early next year” means. Is it next week, the week after or just before June 2023? How long are politicians and their advisors allowed to keep gaslighting and tamper with our lives?
Furthermore, if you are applauding the Labor party for “allowing” nearly 19 000 eX-detainee Refugees on TPV and SHEV visas being granted “permanent” residency, you must do a reality check on why these eX-detainees were subjected to these miserable conditions in the first place – First inside detention centres and then outside detention centres. The Australian Labor party is responsible for the mandatory detention of ALL these 19000 Refugees as soon as they landed in Australia to seek asylum by boat.
It is Labor politicians who crafted Australia’s indefinite mandatory immigration detention system and tortured eX-detainees back in 1992. Keeping this in mind, the Labor party has blood on their hands more than any party in Australia over the last three decades.
None of these Journalists have questioned the current Labor government about the introduction of Australia’s mandatory detention policy by Paul Keating’s government or the reopening of offshore torture camps in Nauru and Manus by PM Julia Gillard. Or how Julia Gillard and Chris Bowen introduced the no-advantage policy and blocked humanitarian family reunions while PM Kevin Rudd permanently exiled asylum seekers to PNG. Who will question or hold the Australian Labor party accountable for the torture and oppression of our people?
Here is SOME of the Australian Labor Party’s horrific record of abusive refugee and immigration policies, actions and scandals during their Previous term in Government: https://www.riserefugee.org/overview-of-alps-disastrous-record-of-immigration-policies-actions-scandals-while-in-federal-government/
Finally to those saviours who constantly make a visit to politicians in Canberra to “represent” us, stop burning our money and resources. It’s not about you meeting with our oppressors or your crocodile tears.
RISE eX-detainees