A Reminder That Nearly 40 Medevac Refugees Are Still Being Held In A Melbourne “Hotel Prison”
Hotel detention has been described as a "COVID incubator".
Nearly 40 refugees are still being held in a Melbourne hotel, in conditions that advocates have labelled a “COVID incubator”.
Fears are growing amid the Omicron variant after Carlton’s Park Hotel became a hotspot for infections over the last two months, with half of all Medevac refugees trapped indoors without fresh air or light contracting the virus in October alone.
Refugees previously locked away in Manus and Nauru were brought to Australia for medical attention in 2019, and have been forced to stay indoors within domestic hotels and processing centres ever since — bringing their total detainment at the hands of the Federal Government to eight years of hell.
Despite coming here for medical support, their health continues to be risked in onshore detention. A report last Friday by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre found that the consequential measures to control the virus also led to further restrictions “including isolation, limits on freedom of movement, socialising, activities and visits, all of which are critical to health and wellbeing in detention”.
People are calling for the remaining 37 refugees’ immediate freedom and permanent resettlement in Australia instead. “We gather in solidarity with all asylum seekers and refugees who have suffered as the result of policies of Australian governments for more than 20 years,” said activist Lieke Janssen from Refugee Action Collective Victoria of the “hotel prison” situation on Thursday.
“It is increasingly untenable and intolerable for the small numbers remaining in detention to continue to be held indefinitely.”
Concerns were also raised last Wednesday that library services were being denied to Melbourne’s refugees by the Australian Border Force and the private corporation which oversees operations, Serco.
During the apartheid, Nelson Mandela was allowed to study in jail. I've been banned from studying by the Australian Government for Nine years. If I had been allowed to study, I would have obtained my PhD by now.
Today is Human Rights Day 2021!#HumanRightsDay
— Moz (Mostafa Azimitabar) (@AzimiMoz) December 9, 2021
Roughly fifteen Medevac refugees have been released from Melbourne and Brisbane since November, however, only on bridging visas with little government support and no chance of permanent residency. It is estimated that dozens more Medevac refugees are being imprisoned in other states and territories, while an additional 239 refugees and asylum-seekers also being held offshore by Australia, according to the Refugee Action Collective.
A vigil is being held in Carlton on Friday evening to honour refugee rights to coincide with International Human Rights Day.
Photo: Mostafa Azimitabar