The face of asylum rejection

Thursday, 8 May 2008

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre CEO Kon Karapanagiotidis writes:

I want to take a moment to give a human face to what this government is doing to asylum seekers, writesKon Karapanagiotidis, CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

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Valerie Pitty Friday, 9 May 2008 2:05:50 PM: This is a deplorable situation and surely these decisions cannot all be attributed to the public servants who remain in the Immigration Department as a legacy from the Howard Government. I would like to see Crikey, or some other liberal-minded body, organise a petition to Minister Chris Evans demanding that a more humane attitude be taken towards such applicants. It is especially disturbing to think that people who have lived many years in Australia, contributing to the welfare of their families and to the general community, could be forced back to countries where they face poverty, persecution or isolation from all family and friends.
Marshall Friday, 9 May 2008 1:20:19 PM: This situation is appalling. I thought Kevin Andrews had been running the Immigration Dept like this, but I thought the new Govt would be a lot more sympathetic. It is not until one hears the detail of these cases that they make me cringe with shame that our representative Govt treats people in this inhuman manner. Maybe the Immigration Minister (whatever the new one's name is) can start giving us the people some explanation of why he/she is doing this.
Kerry Lawrence Friday, 9 May 2008 8:57:38 AM: Like other respondents, one of the main reasons I was delighted to see the change of government, giving me hope for the first time in years, was an expectation of a better deal for asylum seekers. Kon's letter to the volunteers should also be sent to Mr Andrews and Mr Rudd to help them see beyond the numbers.
Robyn Friday, 9 May 2008 1:03:00 AM: Absolutely disgraceful... I too thought Labour would address these issues. Thanks for the link - I've also passed on my comments to the PM
Robert Thursday, 8 May 2008 6:30:20 PM: So how did it come to pass that the Immigration Dept (whatever they are called now) became so callous and that whatever reviews and court cases these people have been through became worse than deaf to their plight? Wasn't Labour going to fix the mess in the immigration system? Let's lock St Kevin in a room with these people for an afternoon & see how hard his heart is.
Colin Jones Thursday, 8 May 2008 4:57:11 PM: In Labor I thought that perhaps we had a chance on a 180 degree turn on our treatment of asylum seekers. It seems not. So far this government has not stirred my heart and I despair as each new day dawns and I see nothing new under the sun, let alone under this government of illusion and no substance. I wrote to the P.M. as suggested and I hope many others will. Our humanity is on trial here. I wait with baited breath for the final Garnault report to see how our Kev manipulates the situation so as to keep the status quo alive and well.
Robert Thursday, 8 May 2008 4:13:04 PM: Somehow the blatant xenophobia of the Howard years is preferable to the Rudd government's "business as usual" approach to processing refugees. People expected it from Howard and his conga line of lackeys, but not from that "nice Mr Rudd". One can only imagine what other bastardry is continuing on Rudd's watch. Let's hope they are discovered and stopped befoire too many other lives are destroyed. Thanks for the link, Lee, I told Rudd I wasn't happy, let's hope others will too. http://www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm
Lee Thursday, 8 May 2008 2:08:40 PM: This must not continue. Send your message demanding that Rudd act immediately and effectively to institute humane and equitable treatment of asylum seekers. Send the Prime Minister a message now, on the contact form at http://www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm.