I can't believe the lengths to which the Australian immigration department has gone to repatriate traumatised Syrian asylum seekers detained in offshore detention centres.
It has been revealed in departmental emails obtained under freedom of information laws. Australia is doing the “unthinkable” by endeavouring to return Syrians.
The emails show that Syrians detained offshore told Australian immigration department officials they would be killed if they returned to Syria.
The department has facilitated plans for their repatriation nonetheless.
They even are sharing asylum-seeker identity documents with the Syrian consulate in Australia, booking flights via Jordan, and endeavouring to issue an “ultimatum” to force them into a decision on repatriation, despite a number of them being severely mentally ill.
At no point in any of the disclosed emails is conflict in Syria mentioned. We have seen more than 100,000 people die and 2.56 million refugees flee the civil war.
Am I proud to be an Australian, sadly no, not when such things are occurring in our name.
This was touted to be a caring government before the election, instead what do we have, a bullying government, one that cares little for those struggling to survive, be they refugees or there own citizens.
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