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.

For the 187th man on Manus Island

Dear Prime Minister,

On behalf of all immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers and citizens of Australia I am afraid of the increasing power that has been given to the Immigration Minister. The minister can cancel non-citizens' visas for numerous trivial reason and without any proof of wrongdoing (in 2015-2016, the Immigration minister Peter Dutton cancelled 983 visas on character grounds). It has been reported that your government wants to expand these powers to punish non-citizens further. Our democracy is threatened when unchecked power can be exercised by an individual. When will you remove these powers from Minister Dutton and restore fairness and justice to our system of immigration?

law, lies, Peter DuttonRuth Halbertrefugees, asylum seekers, human rights, illegal detentionComment