Please take action! Show your support for asylum policies with decency and integrity - October 2009

The last few weeks may have seemed like d?j? vu for many of you.? Extremist politicans and commentators are back in the media spotlight, attacking asylum seekers, refugees and the recent reforms to Australia?s asylum policies.? We?ve heard the same infamous myths and untruths about asylum seekers that were used under the Howard government, cached in neat sound grabs and given ample airing over the airwaves and in print.? We?ve seen a spate of pejorative and incorrect language about asylum seekers, particularly the term ?illegal immigrants?, used by the Prime Minister as well as the extremists in Shadow Cabinet.

AJA and other refugee groups have been working hard to counter the myths that are currently rife in the public arena.? See AJA?s updated Myths and Facts sheet for indisputable information, facts and evidence about asylum seekers and refugees in Australia.? Or read AJA?s latest media article.? Although we want you to read our Myths and Facts sheet for yourself, here?s a brief summary of major points in the asylum seeker debate:

-?Australia?s increase in asylum seekers is a close reflection of the global increase in asylum seekers which has resulted from ongoing/increased violence and conflict in countries such as Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

-?Australia?s recent reforms to asylum policy were desperately needed in order to respect our international human rights obligations and to return us to a situation where our values of decency and integrity were evident in our policies.? A return to policies like Temporary Protection Visas and detention debts could be disastrous for the Australian psyche, let alone the wellbeing of vulnerable refugees.

-?The lack of protection for refugees available in most other countries in our region means that refugees from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka must travel long distances ? all the way to Australia, in fact - before they have reached a country that can offer real and effective protection.? In contrast, even UNHCR-registered refugees can be jailed for years in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

-?Australia takes a very small number of asylum seekers, on a per-capita basis, on a GDP-average basis, or in absolute numbers, compared to most other countries.

-?The myth of ?worthy? and ?unworthy? refugees is just that ? a myth.? By definition, a refugee is escaping a situation of real danger, even death.? In such a situation, any one of us would take whatever action necessary to seek safety and to protect the lives of loved ones.

-?Every human has the right to seek asylum in another country.? An asylum seeker has legal status under Australian and international law.

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Write, email or ring our politicians

Tell our politicans to keep the trajectory of Australia's asylum policies moving towards greater integrity and fairness - not away!

Let them know that Australians want fair policies for asylum seekers and that we?re willing to take our share of the global responsibility for protecting the vulnerable.

Urge them to show leadership in dealing with asylum seekers with humanity, fairness and decency.? Let them know that the Australian public understands the issues at stake in the asylum seeker debate ? we won?t be frightened or lulled by scaremongering or tough rhetoric.

Ask them to support the recommended policy reforms made by bipartisan Senate committees and expert organisations like the Australian Human Rights Commission.? Demand that they adopt a bipartisan approach that respects our international human rights obligations.? Warn them that we won?t allow ourselves to be shamed on the international stage as we were in the Tampa years.

Who should you write to?

The more politicians you contact, the better!? Include your federal MP, the Senators in your State, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull.

Additional suggestions if you write to Kevin Rudd:? Tell him that Australians are willing to carry our share of the global?responsibility for meeting protection needs, and that we don?t want him to shift our responsibility to Indonesia or other countries.? Ask him to continue the much-needed reforms to Australia's refugee policies that Labor had accomplished since coming into power.??Remind him of his comments to the UNHCR annual meeting in Geneva earlier this month, when he said, ?Australia?s commitment to working with UNHCR is without question?.. We must support them, and indeed each other, by sharing the responsibility?.???Tell him that Australians expect him to follow the intent of the Refugee Convention as well as the letter of its law.

Additional suggestions if you are writing to Malcolm Turnbull: Ask him to explain the details of the Opposition?s policy on asylum seekers in Australia (something he has refused to do thus far).? Urge him not to let an extremist faction within his Cabinet tarnish the rest of the party.? Remind him that the Coalition supported the abolition of the ?Pacific Solution? and Temporary Protection Visas at the time these reforms were made - reforms for which the electorate had given the government a clear mandate.

Additional suggestions if you are writing to Minister Chris Evans: Thank him for his continued support for fair, humane policies and for measured, rational debate.??Encourage him to continue with his policy reforms, including the introduction of Complementary Protection.? Ask him to stop detaining children in immigration facilities which are detention centres in everything but legal name (children are still being detained in secured, fenced facilities under 24 hour guard, and are not free to come and go).? Ask him to put in place the steps needed to abolish excision and the processing of boat-borne asylum seekers in remote locations such as Christmas Island.

Additional suggestions if you are writing to your MP or Senators: Demand that they hold their party leaders accountable for statements that are intended to covertly appeal to latent racism in a small segment of the community.? Take the example of Coalition members Petro Georgiou, Judith Troeth, Russell Broadbent, Judy Moylan, Bruce Baird and even Malcolm Fraser, who have taken a moral stance and spoken out against the party line.? Take the example of ALP member Michael Danby, who called Kevin Rudd to account this week for his use of the term 'illegal immigrants'.? Or take the example of Paul Howes, National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union and Vice President of the ACTU, or David Noonan, National Secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, who have both called upon the government and the Coalition for fairness, humanity and the end of divisive political point-scoring.

Some key contact details:

Kevin Rudd
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7700
or email him via his online form.

Malcolm Turnbull
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 4022
Malcolm.Turnbull.MP@aph.gov.au

Click here to find the contact details for your local MP.

Click here to find the contact details for Senators.

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Write to the media to correct pejorative language

Write to the media if you hear them using pejorative and inaccurate language such as ?illegal immigrants? or ?queue-jumpers? (click here to see AJA?s explanation of why these terms are incorrect and our process for dealing with media complaints).? Also urge them to present a balanced view of the debate.

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Be creative

Don?t let us set the limit for what you as an individual can do to campaign for fair asylum policies!? There are many ways in which you can support asylum seekers, raise public awareness and break down negative stereotypes.? A small and random sample of awareness-raising ideas include:

-?initiating a forum at your school/university/workplace (perhaps find out if a refugee group in your city can provide a speaker)

-?using sports or arts to get your message across (e.g. Paddling for Refugees)
-?writing to asylum seekers detained in Christmas Island (for more details, see item 5 of this newsletter)

-?volunteering with organisations that support asylum seekers on the mainland

-?leaving AJA?s Myths and Facts sheet in the mailboxes of 20 houses on your street (email or phone us if you want us to post you copies)

-?make a YouTube clip about asylum seeker realities in Australia

And tell AJA about your activities!

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Spread the word

So much effective advocacy can be achieved just by talking about the issues within your immediate network.? Many of us are in contact with family members, friends or colleagues that may not know much about asylum seekers and refugees, except what they hear in the media (which can be unbalanced and misleading).? Refer them to reliable sources of information.? Ask them to look at the hard facts before making up their minds.? And encourage them to write to our politicians as well.

Lastly, don?t underestimate the impact and contribution that your individual actions can have!