GADRC News March 2018

Vol 4. No 3

We are looking for a Newsletter Editor. Email: gadrc.bendigo@gmail.com

Detention Statistics – 31 January 2018 - http://bit.ly/2sA1V67

• There are no official updated statistics since our last newsletter. Immigration Detention in Australia

http://www.border.gov.au/about/immigration-detention-in-australia But this was published on Facebook this week -

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Monthly Meetings at 5.15pm on Second

Thursday of each month at the Bendigo Library. • Next meeting – 5.15pm – Thurs, 12 April 2018

Special Coffee & Chat - 9.30am

➢ Tues, 20 March - The Basement Café, View Street, Bendigo

at 10.30am

➢ Tues, 20 March Cnr Barnard & View St (QE Oval corner) ➢ Wed, 28 March Cnr Williamson St & Pall Mall (near Info Centre)

Monthly Rally

16 March 2018 5.30 pm – 6.00 pm

Rosalind Park, Bendigo

Corner of Pall Mall and View Street

https://www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au/actions/regular-vigils/

Monthly Information Stall First Saturday of each month at

Bendigo Marketplace. GADRC – 5th May, 4th August, and 6th October

Amnesty – 7th April and 7th July RAR – 6th Jan, 3rd Feb, 3rd Mar, 1st Sept, 3rd Nov, and

1st Dec

Letter Writing Group

3rd Tuesday of Every Month 10am – 11am Corner Store Cafe in View St.

Small town rallies after asylum seeker family carried off in dawn raid Extract from an article by Ben Doherty – The Guardian – 12th March 2018 Read the full article here

The day after Priya’s visa expired, she, her husband and daughters were woken at 5am and forcibly taken 1,500km away The close-knit community of Biloela in central Queensland has been shocked by an early morning Australian Border Force raid on a Sri Lankan asylum seeker family – including two Australian-born children – over a visa expired by a single day.

Husband and wife Nadesalingam and Priya and their Australia-born daughters, nine-month-old Dharuniga and two-year-old Kopiga, were forcibly taken, without warning, into immigration detention in Melbourne, more than 1,500km from their home.

The family has been told they face imminent deportation.

Australian Border Force officials, accompanied by police and Serco guards arrived at the family’s home at 5am on Monday 5 March. The family said they were given 10 minutes to pack and driven to Gladstone airport where they were flown to Melbourne.

They remain in immigration detention in Melbourne. They said when they were taken into detention they were told to sign documents assenting to their “voluntary removal” and told if they did not sign them, they would be denied access to a phone, and forcibly deported separately.

On Tuesday afternoon they signed the papers but have said their signatures were not voluntary, but made under unfair duress.

The Guardian put all these allegations to the Department of Home Affairs in a detailed list of questions. A spokesperson said the family’s asylum application had “been comprehensively assessed by the department, various tribunals and courts”.

“They have consistently been found not to meet Australia’s protection obligations.

“All detention and removal operations are carried out in a way that ensures the safety and security of detainees. Appropriate consideration is given to the needs of any children involved.”

The family had been living in Biloela for four years. Nadesalingam and Priya married in 2014, having arrived separately in Australia by boat seeking asylum in 2012 and 2013, in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s brutal 26-year civil war.

Nadesalingam had links to the former separatist army, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Former cadre face continued persecution in Sri Lanka, international observers such at the UN and Amnesty say.

Nadesalingam’s application for protection has been rejected by Australia, and his appeal options extinguished. Legal avenues remain open for Priya to appeal against her protection application rejection.

In their years in Australia, Nadesalingam and Priya had built a life and a family. Nadesalingam worked at the Biloela meatworks.

Priya’s bridging visa expired on 4 March but she was in regular communication with a case worker from the Department of Home Affairs before and after that date to have it renewed. She said she had been told she would be receiving a new visa by mail from the department.

Residents of Biloela have taken to social media to express their support for the family, and their shock.

United Nations bodies and Amnesty International have expressed serious concern about the forcible return of Tamil asylum seekers to Sri Lanka, especially those with suspected or known links to the LTTE.

Amnesty International’s latest annual report, published on 22 February said in Sri Lanka “reports of torture and other ill-treatment in detention continued”.

The Sri Lankan government has consistently denied mistreatment is occurring.

Many people have written to, emailed, and phoned politicians on behalf of this little family. MPs and Senators contact details can be found at - https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Guidelines_for_Contacting_Senators_and_Members

And an online petition can be signed at - https://www.change.org/p/peter-dutton-bring-priya-back-to-biloela

Speak up about refugee protection needs

Want to raise concerns with UNHCR about issues facing refugee communities overseas?

RCOA, Bernice Kamikazi, Simon Sang Hre and other Australian NGO and refugee advocates are now gathering information on issues to raise at the 2018 UNHCR NGO Consultations and associated meetings in Geneva.

INVITATION FOR SUBMISSIONS TO 2018 UNHCR-NGO CONSULTATIONS

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is working together with other Australian NGOs, refugee advocates

and academics to advocate at an international level with and on behalf of refugees in Australia and the region.

Each year, representatives from RCOA and other Australian NGOs travel to Geneva to participate in annual consultations between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and NGOs from around the world. The consultations provide a forum to network, gather and share information, hear about new policies and best practice, discuss protection gaps and identify joint solutions. Participation in the meeting also provides opportunities for high-level advocacy through side meetings with UNHCR, State delegates and other key players.

RCOA is seeking feedback from individuals and refugee community groups on current issues of concern for people living in refugee situations overseas, which RCOA should consider raising with UNHCR at the consultations. RCOA is particularly interested in feedback on issues affecting refugee populations in the Asia- Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions. As the focus of this year’s UNHCR NGO Consultations is on providing input into the Global Compact on Refugees, we welcome feedback on this: http://www.unhcr.org/Zero-Draft.pdf

Submissions should focus on current situations overseas, rather than issues in Australia, as most of the UNHCR personnel RCOA will be meeting do not work on Australian issues.

Submissions should be limited to two pages in length.

Please send your submission along with a completed cover sheet to -

• The Refugee Council of Australia by 30 April 2018.

• E-mail to international@refugeecouncil.org.au

• Post to Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

• Fax to (02) 9211 9288

If you would prefer to pass on your feedback verbally, please contact Refugee Council to arrange a telephone interview.

2018 UNHCR-NGO CONSULTATIONS - SUBMISSION COVER SHEET

Contact details

Organisation: (if applicable)

Contact person:

Position:

Postal address:

Phone: Mobile:

Fax:

E-mail:

Submission details

Regional focus: Asia Pacific Middle East Africa Other

Country focus:

Main issues covered in submission (list): ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Recommendations to UNHCR (list): ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

PLEASE ATTACH YOUR SUBMISSION

Please send your submission along with a completed cover sheet to the Refugee Council of Australia by 30 April 2018. • E-mail to international@refugeecouncil.org.au

• Post to Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

6 - 8 April 2018 – Wodonga

A full program is planned, and both Gillian Triggs and Julian Burnside are guest speakers

Conference Program is available at - https://www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au/

Bookings at - https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=339685

GADRC-RAR at Bendigo’s Easter Parade

This will be a great opportunity to demonstrate our presence to the many visitors to Bendigo over Easter.

Our Theme will be -

We Care … about children … about all people … about justice … Join Us We are planning MAXIMUM visual impact, so …

• GADRC members will wear purple … lots of purple

• RAR members will wear their logo T-Shirts

• Everyone else will be asked to wear white.

Feel free to invite your friends.

We realise Easter is a busy time, but this a great opportunity to raise awareness

To assist with our planning and registration we need to know a base number of those participating.

For further information about this event, please email: GADRC.Bendigo@gmail.com

• Monthly Information Stall at the Market Place – joint project with RAR and Amnesty Bendigo GADRC dates are: May 5th, August 4th, and October 6th. We are looking for 2 volunteers for that day.

• Central Victorian Refugee Support Network (CVSRN) Lyn represents Bendigo GADRC at the Central Victorian Refugee Support Network (CVSRN) meetings. This is a network of many local refugee support groups which meets 6 times a year to share ideas, and to initiate projects across the Central Victorian region.

• Australian Refugee Action Network (ARAN) Conference 2018 in Melbourne For those who can’t get to Wodonga for the National RAR Conference, keep an eye out for the ARAN Conference in Melbourne on 7th & 8th July 2018 - Details soon.

Palm Sunday in Bendigo

12.30pm for 1pm start. Rosalind Park Plaza (opposite the Fountain)

Come together with fellow citizens to share your commitment to seeking a just and compassionate world.

Or Will you join us in Melbourne for this major annual refugee rally?

15,000 people walked in Melbourne for refugees in 2017.

Let’s double that number in 2018

Let’s show the government that we are want

Justice for Refugees.

Other News & Coming Events • Light at the End - 2pm Saturday 17th March and 3pm Sunday 18th March Breen Street, Quarry Hill

Light at The End… presents a genuine insight into humanity through a mesmerising and celebratory performance.

In a dark, dank and raw theatre space, stories of ‘light’ and ‘strength’ are revealed as performers are dramatically

Silhouetted against the natural light at the end of a tunnel. Joined by one refugee advocate, five local performers who have made Australia their new home, lead the audience in an intimate experience through a secret tunnel towards the light.

http://www.roseturtleertler.com/light-at-the-end.php

• Musical Journeys - 6pm, 24th March The Old Church on the Hill Entry by Donation

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre band 'Musical Journeys' from Footscray is coming to performance for us at the Old Church on the Hill, Russell Street on Saturday 24th March 6pm.

After the great success of last year's performance at the Ulumbarra Theatre the band enthusiastically agreed this should be an annual event and that we should continue raising funds for people seeking asylum.

We really want to get a good turn out on the night to reward the band's kindness and support them by enjoying and dancing to their exciting, vibrant music! It is a great family event with kids encouraged to participate in the performance and adults learning some fascinating Ethiopian dance moves.

Interesting Websites:

1. Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children – Bendigo & Ballarat Website: https://gadrcbendigoandballarat.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Facebook

2. Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) Website: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/ Follow us on Facebook

3. Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) Website: http://www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au/ Follow us on Facebook

4. Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) Website: http://www.asrc.org.au/ Follow us on Facebook

5. Australian Refugee Advocacy Network (ARAN) Website: https://australianrefugeeactionnetwork.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Facebook

Local refugee groups:

1. Bendigo Friends and Mentors: Contact – Helen Musk

Mobile 0437 416 398 or Email fambendigo@gmail.com 2. Bendigo Rural Australians for Refugees:

Contact – Secretary – rarbendigo@gmail.com Facebook - Rural Australian for Refugees Bendigo

3. Grandmothers against Detention of Refugee Children – Bendigo:

Email - gadrc.bendigo@gmail.com Website - https://gadrcbendigoandballarat.wordpress.com/ FB - Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children – Bendigo Twitter - https://twitter.com/grandmothersref Twitter handle @grandmothersref

Hardcopies of this newsletter were printed courtesy of Lisa Chesters, Federal Member for Bendigo

Next Meeting: Grandmothers against Detention of Refugee Children Bendigo

▪ 5.15pm Thursday 12th April 2018 ▪ Bendigo Library