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Monday, 13 February 2012
Page: 762

Asylum Seekers

To the Honourable Members of the House of Representatives in the Parliament assembled:

This petition of Australian citizens and Residents

Draws to the attention of the House: End Australian Mandatory Detention Regime

We therefore ask the house to: Take all available steps to ensure that all refugees and asylum seekers detained in Australia are released into the community as soon as possible. Australia needs to have an understanding of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers worldwide and treat people with respect. We ask the house and it members to urge the government to:

Ensure Australian immigration laws apply equally to all Australian territories-onshore and offshore. The excision of islands in Australian territory from the migration zone and all boat arrivals being processed outside the mainland jurisdiction discriminates against asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia.

End Mandatory and Arbitrary detention of asylum seekers and consider more effective, humane and legal alternatives. The use of Mandatory and arbitrary detention of asylum seekers as a deterrent to others seeking asylum goes against the UN refugee and human rights conventions.

Make Australia's refugee policies part of a global solution for victims of war and persecution. To achieve this, the government should ensure that refugee communities have a more active participatory role in the policy making process.

Ensure independent bodies such as refugee advocacy groups and humanitarian organisations are part of a more transparent and accountable refugee and humanitarian visa application and settlement process.

from 233 citizens