Video Protest – 12 Years Too Long

12 YEARS TOO LONG – END THE BAN ON RESETTLEMENT IN AUSTRALIA

Mark this shameful anniversary

Call Out for Your Participation in Video Protest

12pm – 1pm, Sunday 13 July

Parliament House Lawn

On 19 July 2013, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that anyone who came seeking refuge in Australia by boat would never be able to settle in Australia, a policy that was zealously enforced under Coalition governments and remains in place under the Albanese Labor government.

As a result of this policy, up to 40 men remained trapped in PNG, after 12 long years – many now are extremely ill physically and mentally. Read more here.

About another 1,000 people who were evacuated from PNG or Nauru and have been living in Australia for years are still denied any permanency in this country – the government refers to this group as “transitory persons”. Some do not have work rights, some do not have rights to education. All live on precarious short-term bridging visas that generally have to be renewed every 3-6 months. All are separated from family.

And while not a direct consequence of Rudd’s ruling, the flawed and unfair ‘Fast Track process’ that Tony Abbott implemented in 2014 has kept up to 9,000 people without any real safety, living in fear and uncertainty. While the Albanese government has abolished the Fast Track process, they have NOT set aside the unfair decisions made under it.

All of these people deserve – after so many years – to have security and permanency to live in Australia. End this cruelty.

Over the 12 years, we’ve usually had a protest on the anniversary of Rudd’s announcement. This year, we plan to hold a protest at Parliament House on Sunday, 13 July, the week before the anniversary. This will be filmed and edited for release within a week, to mark the July 19 anniversary later that week.

We will only be able to do this if there are a sufficient number of people able to participate. If you can turn up for an hour and don’t mind being in the video, please flick us a reply to this email, or email RAC at mail@refugeeaction.org and we’ll be in touch.