Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Seven refugees remain in detention in a Darwin airport hotel 522 days after they were taken there under Medevac legislation. That's 18 months in detention, since February last year, and, prior to that, seven years on Nauru—a total of 2,937 days in Australian detention. It is a national shame.

Recently when I visited the two families in the Darwin detention area. I spoke to them through a fence while they sat some five metres away and yelled their stories in desperation. It's entirely unclear why these families remain in detention in Darwin while other Medevac refugees have been released. They have been granted genuine refugee status by UNHCR and were deemed not to be a threat to the community when they were allowed into the country under the Medevac legislation. And the treatment they were brought here to receive by all accounts has not been given, and they continue to have to wait, confused, desperate, mentally exhausted and unwell, to learn of their fate. I was ashamed to see that our country would treat people in such a way.

Let me tell you a little bit about them. Afsaneh; her husband, Mojtaba; and her son, Behnam, are from Iran. Behnam was 16 when he first came to Australia and was put in immigration detention. He's now 24, having spent a large part of his life on Nauru. This family have been accepted for resettlements in the US, but are waiting on final health checks, which they need to fly to Sydney for. They're now facing delays due to COVID lockdowns in Sydney and they do not know when they will get there. I ask the question, though: why does this health check have to be done down there; why can it not be done here in Darwin? None of this has been explained to them. As I spoke to them, Afsaneh held a sign that said, 'I can't breathe. We aren't safe'. She told me, 'They are killing us slowly.' She said, 'Why not just kill me now? Instead they want us to suffer.'

The second family is Yaghoob, his wife Malekah and their adult children, Abbas and Hajar, both in their 30s. They are also from Iran. Abbas recently shared the following story on his Facebook page, which I will read to you. These are his words:

Listen up, I have a story to tell you. My name is Abbas and I'm 34 years old. I'm just like any man my age on most accounts. I like to spend time with my family and friends, watch movies and go to the gym. I would love to spend a summer in Paris to learn more about philosophy, poetry and politics. I also enjoy Russian literature and South American music and dance.

Unfortunately my life is different to most other 34 year old men because I have had almost nine years stolen from me. As an Arabic man, I had to leave my country . It was forbidden for us to celebrate our culture or even learn our language. If we were caught doing this we were brutally punished and abused by the government. My sister and I grew up living in fear and shame. When I was 25 years old, my parents, older sister and I came to Australia seeking safety and refuge. We looked forward to a beautiful future where we did not have to hide our culture.

The Australian Government were not what we expected. They did not offer us safety, refuge or even a slither of compassion. Instead they sent us to a tiny little island in Tanzania. My family spent 7 years on Nauru. We were kept behind fences and treated like criminals.

The kindness and compassion that is so desperately needed in these circumstances must be shown to these two families. I urge the Senate and the Australian parliament to look at the seven people here in the Darwin detention centre and not turn your backs on them.

There is considerable community concern in Darwin about how the Morrison government is treating these families, and the community are ready to welcome these families. I thank DASSAN, the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network, and all those involved with coordinating daily vigils. There have now been 183 days of vigils outside the hotel. I call on the Morrison government to release these families into the community while they await finalisation of resettlement visas to other countries. It's just the right thing to do.

Senate adjourned at 19:53