Page 3332 - Week 09 - Thursday, 24 August 2017
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seekers; and never mind that some who do return are arrested as soon as they set foot on the soil of their homeland or, worse, simply disappear.
We heard last week that even those who could legally be sponsored by family members in other countries are being stopped by Australia from taking up that option. How can we, in all conscience, believe that this is the way to treat fellow human beings? They have committed no crime. They are not illegal. They are simply fleeing persecution. We have a responsibility to respond humanely. We have a responsibility to no longer sit back and ignore what is going on and being done, apparently in our name.
Perhaps one of the most tragic aspects of this whole policy is the impact that indefinite detention has on people’s mental health. The research clearly demonstrates that keeping people in indefinite detention can cause irreparable damage. Refugees and asylum seekers are often already in a state of extreme vulnerability as a result of fleeing their country of origin for fear of persecution. Many suffer from undiagnosed mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Conditions on Manus Island and Nauru can only exacerbate such conditions.
It was with great sadness that I read about the death of Hamed Shamshiripour, a 31-year-old Iranian with a history of mental illness. He was found dead on 7 August near the refugee transit centre in East Lorengau. Initial reports suggest he may have taken his own life. Fellow refugees had asked that he be provided with urgent mental health support, yet claimed he was beaten by guards instead. He had previously been jailed several times after suffering severe mental episodes and behaving unpredictably or aggressively. His death has been aptly described as “entirely preventable” by Doctors for Refugees. This system is designed to break people, and it is doing just that.
The situation is particularly precarious for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island. Refugee advocates know of several gay men who live in fear of their lives. Homosexuality is illegal in Papua New Guinea, and simply being gay can result in a 14-year jail sentence. Many of these men have already been persecuted for their sexuality. They have likely fled their country of origin because similar laws with respect to homosexuality exist in their home country. The federal government has mandatorily detained gay asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru, and is now forcing them to consider unbearable options which will result in more persecution and possible death.
The ACT is, thankfully, the only Australian state or territory to have declared itself a refugee welcome zone. It is one of 148 refugee welcome zones across Australia, including councils and shires in every state. Today we are calling on the federal government to resettle refugees and asylum seekers in Australia’s 148 refugee welcome zones, where they can build new lives among compassionate and caring communities that have committed to upholding their rights.
Canberra is proudly a progressive and caring community. We have a Human Rights Act and we have fought long and hard to legislate for marriage equality. What is happening on Manus Island and Nauru is not in line with our community standards and expectations. I know that many in our community are appalled by what is
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