Human rights advocate and Game Over ambassador Craig Foster updates us on the campaign to get people trapped in Papua New Guinea, Nauru and hotels around Australia to safety.
Thank you for your continued support of the Game Over campaign. We’re now a movement of 65,000 people (and still growing!) demanding Prime Minister Scott Morrison get all those detained in Papua New Guinea, Nauru and in hotels around Australia to safety.
It’s been a difficult few months, especially for refugees and asylum seekers. Due to Coronavirus we saw the UNHCR temporarily suspend all international refugee resettlement, and those detained in hotels around Australia were exposed to a heightened risk of infection due to their detention conditions.
In June, we headed to Canberra and handed over a petition from 20,000 Australians calling on the Australian Government to transfer refugees and asylum seekers detained in hotels into safety in the community. Unfortunately the Government didn’t listen, and earlier this week we saw the consequences, as a security guard stationed at the Mantra Hotel tested positive for the virus.
You can take action and demand Immigration Minister Alan Tudge ensure refugees and asylum seekers in the Mantra Hotel are provided urgent medical and mental health support until it is safe to transfer them into community detention here.
While in Canberra, we met with the New Zealand High Commissioner to discuss their offer to resettle refugees stranded in PNG and Nauru, an offer that still stands today despite the Australian Governments refusal to accept it.
But although there is work to be done, we are making progress. A key goal has been to remind Australian’s of this ongoing injustice, ensure our friends caught up in Australia’s brutal policy are not forgotten, and most importantly to amplify the voices of those who are directly affected – so all Australians who fund their ongoing detention, get to know the people and understand their situation.. We have been successful at this.
Starting in May, resettlement began for those destined for the United States. People like Ezatullah and Sanousi, who you’ve been fighting for tirelessly, have found safety and can begin to rebuild their lives. Check out an update here.
When we started the campaign to get people to safety in November 2019, 612 people were detained offshore, today, that number is 373.
This is heartening progress and shows that the Government is feeling the pressure, but we need to keep it up.
What you can do
Sunday 19 July marks 7 years of suffering for vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees at the hands of the Australian Government.
It’s time to show Scott Morrison that people all around Australia are calling #GameOver. Will you call on Scott Morrison and ask him to accept New Zealand’s offer to resettle refugees from PNG and Nauru?
Click here to send your #7YearsTooLong tweet to Scott Morrison now!
As we continue the campaign to get people to safety, we are engaging new supporters whose voices will be vital in making sure Scott Morrison hears us. So keep an eye out for future updates!
Let’s keep up the pressure.
