Letter Writing – 10th anniversary of PM’s declaration – July 2023

Letter writing for July is the topic of the 10th anniversary of then PM Rudd’s declaration on 19 July 2013, that no one seeking asylum in Australia and arriving by boat would ever be allowed to settle in Australia. Ten years later, thousands of people are still in limbo, having endured years of abuse, neglect and trauma in Australia’s offshore detention regime, and still without safe permanent resettlement plans.

So much can be said about the devastating impact of this policy on the people subject to it, and on us as a nation. The Human Rights Law Centre’s offshore detention timeline presents a summary of the history of this shameful period in Australian history.

The downloadable letter writing kit has additional background information, contact information for politicians, as well as a sample letter. Use the sample letter as a guide, but please rewrite it in your own words.

The Albanese Government has said it is committed to substantial reform in refugee policy and a return to fair and humane treatment of refugees. It is vitally important that we maintain pressure on the government and that we hold them to that commitment.