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Najeeba's story

Najeeba Wazefadost
“Leaving your country for good is one of the hardest decisions you can be forced to make.”
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Fact 1

Fact 1
It is not illegal to seek asylum in Australia, even if arriving by boat.

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Farida and Hussain's story

Hussain Dad
“My children are safe and we can finally sleep well for the whole night, without fear and bomb blasts.”
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fact 2

Fact 2
In Australia, there is 1.1 refugee for every 1,000 people.

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John's story

John Jegasothy
“I’m really concerned about the misconceptions about refugees coming to this country.”
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Fact 3

Fact 3
In 2010, 6,879 asylum seekers arrived in Australia. That’s only 6.8% of the seats in the MCG.
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Chaman's story

Chaman Shah Nasiri
“After I left, my father was tortured so badly he died in prison… The same would have happened to me.”
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Fact 4

Fact 4
Australian Centrelink benefits for an asylum seeker? $0.

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Ashane's story

Ashane
“We knew the boat would be very dangerous, but there was nothing else. Everything else was hopeless.”
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Fact 5

Fact 5
The number of refugees who have arrived by boat, and who have been terrorists? Zero.
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Dinh Tran’s story

Dinh Tran
“When we left, mum & dad had already accepted that we were all going to die. You risk everything on a boat.”
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Fact 6

Fact 6
In 2009, 8,427 sought asylum in Australia – compared to 45,197 in the United Kingdom.
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Refugee's death sparks fresh debate

26/10/2011

Published by The Sydney Morning Herald

View the article

The story said

The death of a man at Villawood detention centre has highlighted the growing problem of mandatory detention of asylum seekers in Australia. Although he had gained refugee status in August, MP Chris Bowen asserted that he was not considered “suitable” for community placement. This opinion has been contested by refugee advocates who state that the man’s death could have been avoided if he had been processed in the community. The health and stability of persons in detention centres is an ongoing issue within the debate.

Did you know

Six refugees had committed suicide in detention centres since September, 2010. Four of those deaths occurred in Villawood Detention Centre. UN guidelines state that once health and security checks are complete, detention should only ever be used as a last resort. Yet the Australian Government’s policies fail to address the issue of asylum seekers who are accepted as refugees but have adverse ASIO security assessments. They face mandatory and indefinite periods of detention, which are proven to have a particularly negative impact on their health and well being.

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Join the conversation

Let's reject the myths and think again about asylum seekers and refugees. Join the conversation by adding #rethinkrefugees to your tweets or click on a link below to get involved in your local area.

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