Around 100 people attended a forum to discuss the recent moves to change Australian law in respect of its treatment of asylum seekers. The forum was held in the Freehills Lecture Theatre on Saturday 17 June 2006. The event coincided with World Refugee Day.
The forum was organised by the School of Law in conjunction with the WA Refugee Alliance and SCALES Community Legal Centre.
Speakers at the forum included the Member for Fremantle, the Honourable Carmen Lawrence MP and Mary Anne Kenny from the School of Law. Testimonials from people who had been on Nauru were read by Tanya Heaslip; photographs from Nauru were shown during her talk. The session was chaired by Judith Watson.
The speakers discussed the federal government’s proposed changes to the Migration Act which propose to send all asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat to offshore centres, such as Nauru. The changes extend the previous excision of territories such as Christmas Island and Ashmore Reef to all of mainland Australia. Asylum seekers processed offshore will not have access to the same system as exists for processing in Australia. In particular they will not have access to legal assistance or to an independent appeal system.
The speeches were followed by a lively 40 minute question and answer session with the audience.
Kellie Hill, Aranaea Ayres and Wambui Ngunjiri, students from the Advanced Immigration Clinic course at SCALES helped with the organisation of the forum. In particular, they put together a series of moving refugee testimonials which were read out on the day. They also organised some materials for the attendees to take away with them in order to lobby federal politicians about the proposed bill.
Attendees at the forum donated almost $300 to the WA Refugee Alliance who were raising money to assist a refugee who had been on Nauru.
Information stalls were also set up in the law school lobby by a variety of organisations such as: Amnesty International, Australian West Papua Association, CASE for Refugees, Refugee Rights Action Network, Black Dove Collective, CARAD and FILEF.
Thanks to all who assisted with with the organisation of this forum and to Elaine Smith for the use of her photographs.
