Ruth Halbert
artist, weaver
Paper boat Rud.jpg

Blog: Dear Prime Minister

On July 30 2016 I started writing letters to the Prime Minister of Australia to protest against the imprisonment and torture of the asylum seekers in the offshore detention centres of Manus Island and Nauru. I started with the intention of writing a letter a day for every person in detention until they are all freed. There are more than 1800 asylum seekers in off shore detention. These are those letters and any response from Mr Turnbull.

End offshore detention. Bring them here. #266

Dear Prime Minister,

Yet another damning report has been written about Australia's offshore detention of refugees. Today's report of the Senate standing committee on legal and constitutional affairs finds that Australia has a clear duty of care to the asylum seekers it imprisons on Manus Island and Nauru, and that DIBP's policy of secrecy "exacerbates the vulnerability of refugees and asylum seekers and prevents proper scrutiny."

I support the Senate committee's recommendations of increasing Australia's refugee intake, increasing funding to UNHCR and implementing a regional processing framework. These policies would give an alternative to the asylum seekers whose current choice is between prison in Indonesia or getting on a boat. I also support the Green's additional calls for immediately closing the refugee prisons on Manus Island and Nauru, giving formal apology and reparations to the people who have been imprisoned and a royal commission into Australia's offshore detention regime. Not only must the offshore detention be closed but we must make amends for the terrible suffering we have inflicted. Close the camps. Bring them here.

politicsRuth HalbertManus Island, Nauru, Nauru files, torture, illegal detention, closethecamps, bringthemhereComment