BY MARCUS PABIAN
& TONY ILTIS
MELBOURNE — About 300 people packed the Trades Hall auditorium on February 20 to oppose the federal government's policy of imprisoning refugees. The meeting, organised by the Refugee Action Collective, demanded that refugees be given permanent residency not temporary visas.
Serena Greco from the Ecumenical Relief Centre, which offers help to refugees released from detention described how the government denies released refugees social security, access to language classes and the opportunity to work. Canberra also pressures non-government agencies to not provide services.
Nabil Sulaiman, of the Australian Arabic Council, explained why people become refugees. He used the example of his own country, Iraq. He pointed out that Australia supported the starvation-causing sanctions on Iraq and regular US-British bombing raids.
RAC's Jess Whyte, one of seven activists who recently protested on the roof of the Maribyrnong detention centre, condemned the lack public scrutiny of Australasian Correctional Management, the private corporation that runs the centre. She also slammed the bipartisan anti-refugee policies of the Coalition and Labor parties.
Whyte described how a child at the Maribyrnong detention centre told her that, after they heard the protesters chanting on the roof, they held a children's protest inside the prison. Whyte called for more protest actions.
The RAC meets every Tuesday, 6pm, at the Trades Hall Annexe. Phone (041) 834 7374 or (03) 9386 4815.