   |
||
| Issue No 71 |  |
15 September 2000 |
|
|
|
News'Appalling' Detention Centres Behind RiotsBy Mark Morey
The Sydney-based Asylum Seekers Centre, says incidents such as the recent riot at Woomera are the result of the appalling condition of immigrant detention centres and their poor management and administration practices.
The riot at Woomera Detention Centre was the second major incident involving refugees this year. The Minister for Immigration, Phillip Ruddock, suggests one of the reasons for the riot could be that a number of detainees had their refugee applications rejected, a view rejected by the Asylum Seekers Centre. An ongoing criticism of detention centres has been the conditions under which detainees are expected to live. Sylvia Winton, Coordinator of Asylum Seekers Centre says that in a vast majority of cases the treatment of individuals is, at best, "appalling". She is aware of cases at Woomera, where detainees in need of medical assistance are not permitted access to these services. Other issues include detainees being provided with hot water in summer and cold water in winter and the exercise yards are home to snakes and scorpions. From her work with refugees, Ms Winton believes frustration due to "people not being told the truth" is one of the biggest issues confronting detainees. In one case, the refugees were told they will be released soon, but then there was no eventual release date. This went on for 8 months. This type of situation generates insecurity and fear as a result of being locked up in a prison and told that you will be getting out soon, yet never being released. In other cases, people who have escaped persecution in Iraq were not provided with any opportunity or resources to communicate with family in order to tell them they were safe or to inquire about family safety. Ms Winton believes it is unreasonable to ask anyone, especially people who have escaped persecution, "to stay sane and patient under these conditions". For refugees who dare to question the conditions or the system, there is little recourse and often the threat of punishment. The Asylum Seekers Centre in NSW, has been involved in a case where detention centre management publicly stated their preparedness to listen and address complaints within the centre. However, a written statement form an individual within this particular centre revealed when the Manager was approached with a complaint the individual was told "if you don't like it here you can be sent to Silverwater Goal". Such issues according to Ms Winton, reveal the lack of openness and transparency in the system. In Woomera, people receive no visitors or phone calls, and they are unable to contact anyone, even their families". The Government's handling, and the media's reporting of issues such as Woomera, portray refugees as "illegals and aliens" when all they have done is "come to the Australian border and say that they want the help and protection of the Australian Government says Sylvia Winton. This masks the suffering of these people and the reason why many fled to Australia she says. Ms Winton believe the Government and media fail to report that "ninety percent of these people are deserving and do gain refugee status...Once you have spoken to a number of these people about their experiences and the torture they have suffered you can understand why they have fled their countries". Minister Ruddock's recent comments about many refuges being "economic refugees" or "uninvited refugees" are seen as disingenuous by organisations such as the Asylum Seekers Centre because they belie the severity of the situations facing many refugees that does not allow them to be patient and wait orderly to be processed. Ms Winton believes the aim of the Minister's comments are to play people off against each other, and against "what could be considered a set of almost fictitious but illegal people" who are portrayed as continually trying to illegally enter Australia. Ms Winton went on to say that "there will always be cheats in any system whether it is tax or immigration, but in this case the cheats are the minority. [In fact], the majority of illegal immigrants are British and New Zealanders who overstay their visas". According to organisations such as the Asylum Seekers Centre, there is an urgent need to review and reform the processing procedures that have seen so many refugees going to the Australian courts to appeal decisions. Ms Winton believes there is a need for better "decision making at the early stages of processing claims". In most cases applicants are refused refugee status without an interview being conducted. "If all detainees received an interview this would keep a majority of cases out of the courts". Perhaps more caseworkers with legal skills at the initial assessment stages to assist in reducing the number of people seeking judicial appeals. In addition, the need for applicants to detail recent traumatic experiences is made more difficult and complicated by having to complete the forms in English. Ms Winton believes allowing people to apply for refugee status in their own languages, as is the case in Italy, would also assist in speeding up the process and reduce the court appeals as a result of inaccurate assessments. Woomera is just one of the many detention centres in Australia where people have fled countries where they and their families suffer persecution because of their cultural, political or religious beliefs. The Asylum Seekers Centre believes it is time to review the way in which Australia deals with its refugees. Specifically there is a need to review the way people are assessed and processed, the conditions under which they are detained, the transparency of the system and the accountability of those managing the system.
|
   Interview: Surviving The FirestormAfter several years as the focus of some brutal politics Carmen Lawrence is back on the ALP front bench. She talks to Workers Online about her new portfolio, unions and the ALP and mud slinging in politics. History: Unions, Sport and CommunityRemember when sport was a fun way to relax after arduous labour? The fight for the eight-hour work day was based around a slogan that said, in part, eight hours work, eight hours play. The play was unpaid and unsung, but enjoyable. Politics: Global FailuresSharan Burrow told the World Economic Forum this week that the union movement acknowledges the benefits of globalisation but it's time to address the failures. International: Mobile WorkersA global IT labour shortage is throwing up challenges for both the developed and developing world. Gerd Rohde, from the Geneva-based Union Network International, is working to strike a balance. Unions: Stuffed or Stoned?In a recent dispute at the South Blackwater Coal Mine in Central Queensland CFMEU members resisted the introduction of random drug testing in the absence of a better strategy to test impairment and not just lifestyle. Review: A Perfect Circle- Mer de NomsPeter Zangari believes the music world has moved on from the simplistic chords of Nirvana and Soundgarden and the grunge scene has been obliterated. But like most other things, especially music, it re-invents itself. Satire: Silly 2000Editors demand something happen: �We�ve got 300 Olympic pages to fill and everyone is training�.
Notice Board View entire latest issue
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
![[ Home ]](/images/nv_home.gif){kind=small} ![[ Notice Board ]](/images/nv_board.gif){kind=small} ![[ Search ]](/images/nv_search.gif){kind=small} ![[ Previous Issues ]](/images/nv_previous.gif){kind=small} ![[ Latest Issue ]](/images/nv_latest.gif){kind=small} |
|
|
|
|
© 1999-2000 Labor Council of NSW LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/71/news8_woomera.htmlLast Modified: 15 Nov 2005 [ Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Credits ] LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW |
|
![[Workers Online]](/images/logo_small.gif){kind=logo}
![[Social Change Online]](/images/sco_logo.gif){kind=logo}