21 May 09

SJN Refugee Day celebration: Fundamental changes to policy needed.

The Social Justice Network is holding its annual celebration of World Refugees Day next week as recognition of the deep suffering and sacrifice of the refugees during their journey to reach safe country that protect their lives and dignity.

This year’s celebration comes amid increase in the numbers of refugees and increase in their suffering in their camps and countries of refuge.

We are still watching the Palestinian refugees greatly suffering in the refugee camps and in other countries in which they have been forced to live for the last 6 decades. The Israeli killing machine added extra burdens after the Holocaust conducted against the people of Gaza, many of whom are refugees since 1948. The Israeli government is also still conducting extreme measures against them which exacerbate their suffering, especially the continuation of building the Apartheid wall, which destroyed the lives of tens of thousands and made them refugees in their homeland.

This year’s celebration is also coming while millions of Iraqi refugees are still living very difficult times inside their homeland or in the neighboring countries. Many of them are taking great risk in their journies to seek asylum in Western countries, including risk of losing their lives.

We also remember in this year’s celebration the increased suffering of refugees from Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Chad and other countries that are living under miserable conditions.

In Australia, this year’s celebration comes while we are witnessing increased racism, despite the change of the extreme racist Liberal government 2 years ago. We witnessed recently how the Liberal party tried to exploit the desperation of few refugees who tried to make it to Australia after they were stranded in Indonesia for years. Their decision to try to end this desperation by traveling to Australia by boat, was portrayed as big national security threat by this extreme party. Unfortunately this exploitation was not seriously challenged by the Labor government or the small parties.

During the network’s celebration this year, we want to send important message to the Australian politicians. The message includes deep disappointment the refugees and their supporters are feeling the empty rhetoric the politicians promised them before the last election.

The government, with the support of the small allegedly progressive parties should have worked to change the policy fundamentally. They should have worked progressively to abandon the policy of mandatory detention, closing down all detention centres and increase the settlement services for refugees and asylum seekers. The government should also have worked to end the ordeal of asylum seekers stranded in Indonesia, by granting all of them permanent protection visa, especially many of them have relatives in Australia that will help them to settle smoothly in the country.

The government with the support of the small parties that allege of being progressive should have introduced fundamental changes to policy. This includes widening the definition of refugee to include statelessness and environmental refugees. Special attention should have been given to the people who suffered and still suffering for decades under the previous racistgovernment.

The celebration will be held next Friday 26 June 09, 7 pm at Vatan restaurant – 64 Auburn Rd, Auburn.

For media, you can contact Jamal Daoud, the SJN spokesperson, on 0424 163 667