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The Asylum
Seeker Issue
plains to share, with courage let us all combine…’
Unfortunately the mainstream media does not show us the full
picture. Behind the scenes, hundreds of campaigns are being run to
reach out to the population and let them know what they can do to
help. The Hot Potato campaign, which launched in Melbourne
recently, is a people’s campaign and road trip, aiming to debunk
myths about asylum seekers and inform Australians with ‘facts, not
fears.’ It asks people to add their name ‘to the growing list of
Australians who believe that asylum seekers in Australia should be
treated fairly and with compassion.’
Over the last 50 years, Amnesty International have realised that
messages of support can make a real difference to people who have
lost their freedom. That’s why Amnesty has devised a new ‘Freedom
from Fences’ appeal where you can send in heart-warming messages
to asylum seekers in detention centres. The United Nations has
released a scathing report on the Manus Island detention centre in
Papua New Guinea. The report expressed serious concern with the
conditions and processes currently in place, and has released a series
of recommendations to the Australian and PNG government.
Why would people pay money to knowingly board a leaky boat
that may not make the journey? As Harper Lee said ‘You never really
understand a person until you consider things from his point of
view... until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.’ I
don’t understand how the Government could make the decision to
send all asylum seekers to PNG and we know that the opposition
intend to continue this policy and try to turn the boats back. We
don’t know the terrible conditions they’ve lived in, corrupt
governments, abuse, we have hope for the future, and they don’t. A
leaky boat is a chance to them, a chance for a better life. These
people need to be shown compassion. Australia needs to help those
most in need, who can’t even afford to arrive by boat.
We do have the right to decide who enters our borders, but as a
privileged nation we must offer help to those in genuine need.
Unless Australia significantly increases the number of refugee visas
granted and its foreign aid, sending asylum seekers to PNG, possibly
to suffer more abuse, or using the navy, as if these people were the
enemy, is both unacceptable and shameful.
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