Sunday 9 April, 2pm
Hyde Park North
March to Circular Quay

U N I O N S  F O R  R E F U G E E S

Please
1. Get your union to endorse the Palm Sunday rally if they have not already done so (see list at end). Donations also welcome.
2. Invite a refugee to speak at an upcoming union meeting to advertise the event. We can put you in touch with refugees who have experience doing this.
3. Circulate information about the rally internally. A graphic is below. We can deliver printed posters and leaflets to your office. Posters can be downloaded here.
4. Invite people to the facebook event here.

Why?

Ending the detention system is important for all workers – politicians consistently use it to build fear and racism of innocent people that poisons our workplaces and communities. Politicians use the detention and scapegoating of refugees to distract people from the government’s failure to provide decent jobs, health and education for all. Australia’s current refugee policy also wastes billions of dollars that could be used to help people, not to harm them. Detaining a single asylum seeker on Manus or Nauru costs $400,000 per year. When asylum seekers live in the community while their claims are processed it is much cheaper and allows them to contribute to society as well.

What is happening now?
Conditions for the refugees and asylum seekers dumped on Nauru a
nd Manus Island remain intolerable. Detention on Manus has claimed the lives of Reza Barati, Hamid Khazaei, Kamil Hussain and Faysal Ishak Ahmed, who died on Christmas Eve, following the failure to provide him with proper medical care. Last year Omid Masoumali died after losing hope on Nauru.

Malcolm Turnbull’s claim that Donald Trump will honour his US resettlement deal for refugees on Manus and Nauru is looking more and more doubtful. Refugees on Manus and Nauru are potentially caught by Trump’s extreme executive order banning Muslims and refugees from entering the US, as they face new “extreme vetting” procedures before being considered.

If the deal goes ahead, it is clear that hundreds of refugees will miss out, with a cap of 1250 people. Asylum seekers whose claims have not been fairly processed and anyone the US will not accept will remain stuck on Manus and Nauru. We still need to demand that the Australian government “Bring Them Here”.
There are also around 30,000 people seeking asylum in the community waiting for their claims to be processed, many unable to work and with only minimal income support. At most they will receive only Temporary Protection Visas, leaving them with the continuing threat of forced return and unable to reunite with their families.

Trump’s election and his hatred against Muslims, refugees and immigrants is encouraging some parliamentarians in Australia to follow suit. Trump’s belligerent language has disturbed governments and people across the planet and can only help induce more people into fleeing for safety. Australia should speak out to counter this effect. 

But Trump’s actions have also produced big protests in the US as well as here in Sydney and around the world. Support for refugees is growing here too. Last year’s #LetThemStayprotests stopped the government sending 267 refugees and asylum seekers back to Nauru and Manus Island. A majority of people now say detention of refugees on Manus and Nauru should end. Join us to step up the pressure for change. We can do better, #Bring them here.

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Unions 4 Refugees

c/o Maritime Union of Australia

365 Sussex Street, Level 2

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