Here is a letter by Freddie Steen to the Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. I agree with every word of it.
The Editor ,
Cathy Wilcox(“political cartoon, 1/8) cuts to the core: Dutton’s punitive, care-less position on the human status of men seeking asylum , lets young men die.
A breach of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention RG Menzies freely signed in 1954.
The death of Hamid Khazaie is now world history as a preventable death in administrative immigration detention, in itself illegal in PNG.
But there is so much more.
The Biloela Tamil family with two babies, remains locked up in Melbourne Detention.
The body of the young Iranian who could stand it no more on Nauru , lies in an undertaker’s vault in Brisbane and his widow, mother and 12 year old brother are refused travel to bury him.
Baby Asha from Nauru, and baby Ferouz born in Brisbane’s Mater Hospital are still living in limbo.
Mojgan the Brisbane student plucked out of Year 12, separated from her Australian resident husband , and re detained in Darwin detention is now living in Brisbane with uncertainty, on a visa that is temporary.
And “ Ali”, the 63 year old Hazara refugee is dying with terminal cancer in Brisbane immigration detention, when 2000 doctors signed a petition telling the Minister that palliative support and medical services on Nauru are not at an Australian standard, and Ali must be brought here.
There are 60 000 + people residing among us illegally without a valid visa , yet a proven Afghan refugee who came the dangerous way by boat five years ago , is deprived at the end of his days of the freedom he dreams of for his family , for which he risked his life.
Like tens of thousands of Australians, this makes me ashamed and sad.
Frederika E Steen AM
(address supplied)
Yes, I agree. The cartoon by Cathy Wilcox is absolutely heartbreaking.
Can we at least agree that the
“60 000 + people residing among us illegally without a valid visa”
should be deported?
Harbi, your suggestion of automatic deportation without case by case consideration for overstayers, visa infringers, those in changed circumstances etc. suggests you don’t have much respect for the protections provided by law. Wikipedia defines “whataboutery” as the technique or practice of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counter-accusation or raising a different issue. You don’t comment on whether the examples given show inhuman official behaviour. This slide into acceptance of brutal processes and outcomes demeans us all.
If only this could get out in more main stream media – people don’t care because they just don’t know or are duped by fear.
No we need to deport Peter Hutton, he is a shamefull example of a human being,l will vote for labour in next election to have him gone,usually a green voter but will switch,he is dangerous and negative, and creates more violence with his fear mongering