Inner-west federal MPs remain in favour of offshore detention for asylum seekers despite thousands of protesters calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull not to send 267 asylum seekers to Nauru and Manus Island.
Monday night’s nationwide ‘Let Them Stay’ rallies, backed by community advocacy group GetUp and Footscray’s Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, have failed to convince Maribyrnong MP and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Gellibrand MP Tim Watts that the group of asylum seekers in the country for medical treatment, including 37 babies born in Australia, should be allowed to stay.
Mr Shorten said Labor supported regional processing as a way to stymie people smugglers.
BILL SHORTEN SUPPORTS OFFSHORE DETENTION BUT SAYS PROCESSING TIMES ARE A DISGRACE.
“There is nothing humane about people drowning at sea, and offshore regional processing is an important part of defeating the crime gangs,” he said. “But it’s also the case that it’s a long overdue time for compassion. It’s a disgrace that the processing times for these people has blown out to 445 days.
“Australia does have a responsibility to ensure the safety of people in our care.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has broken ranks with his federal Labor colleagues, penning an open letter to Mr Turnbull offering to “accept full responsibility” for young asylum seekers facing “a life of physical and emotional trauma” if forcibly removed to offshore detention following last week’s High Court decision on the legality of offshore centres.
DANIEL ANDREWS SAYS SENDING THE CHILDREN BACK TO NAURU IS NOT THE AUSTRALIAN WAY.
“It’s wrong,” Mr Andrews said. “Medical professionals tell us this. Humanitarian agencies tell us this.
“Our values tell us this, too. Sending these children and their families to Nauru is not the Australian way.”
Mr Watts said that while Australia had an obligation to do more to help address the global refugee crisis, he supported a “third country resettlement option” for asylum seekers arriving by boat.
“It doesn’t help the tens of millions of refugees suffering around the world for Australia to offer an incentive for people to undertake dangerous boat journeys to Australia,” he said.
TIM WATTS AGREES THAT OFFSHORE PROCESSING HAS HELPED STOP THE BOATS.
“Nor is it fair to determine the make-up of our humanitarian intake by advantaging people who are in a geographic or financial position to attempt to come to Australia by boat.
Mr Watts said a Labor government would almost double Australia’s annual humanitarian resettlement intake, increase funding to the UNHCR to $450m and establish an independent children’s advocate to ensure that children’s rights are being protected in offshore detention centres.
“The reality is that the combination of offshore processing and regional resettlement, together with the policy of turning back boats, has stopped the flow of vessels arriving on our shores.”
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre campaign co-ordinator Pamela Curr said the issue had reached a tipping point in the community.
An online ASRC petition calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton not so send the 267 asylum seekers offshore has attracted more than 5000 signatures.
