The Victorian State Conference of the ALP over last weekend
unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Federal Government to implement
the policy of the National Conference of the ALP, and the Recommendations
of the Joint Select Committee into Australia’s Detention Network re those
refugees who are locked up indefinitely because they have received an adverse
assessment by ASIO. These people are declared refugees. They cannot be returned
to their own country. There is no right of review or appeal. If they were
an Australian citizen there would be a right of appeal. But these people are
refugees. We leave them in detention. Some of them suicide. Last week Rajini
and her children were, without notice, flown from Melbourne to Sydney and
placed in indefinite detention because there is an adverse ASIO finding against
them. This is indeed a profound injustice.
The ALP National Conference called for an Independent
Security Monitor “ to advise on establishing a
mechanism for independent review of the adverse security assessments that
ensures procedural fairness while recognising that processes may be required to
protect intelligence sources and methodology, (Chapter 9, Paragraph 161, ALP
National Platform.)”
Recomendation 27 and 28 of the Joint Select Committee Report
calling for review and appeal mechanisms needs to be implemented. Lives depend
on it. The mental health of refugees detained indefinitely depend on it.
Jenny Haines
