2009
25 May 2009 Christmas Island is no paradise
22 May 2009 Australia signs UN protocol to the Convention against Torture
21 May 2009 Sri Lankan Tamils: Sharman Stone kicks a political football
9 May 2009 Indonesia and Australia: trading refugees for schools and roads
7 May 2009 When it comes to being humane and responsible, individuals are much better at it than desperate governments
24 April 2009 Pamela Curr reminds us exactly where the new arrivals are coming from, with more hope these days
16 April 2009 Why do they come? A round-up of a few newspaper articles.
16 April 2009 Liberals Wrong on Refugees — an article from the national paper, the Australian
14 April 2009 Seven years jail for going to church - and this is Australia!
9 April 2009 A "must read" for people interested in a human rights charter.
6 April 2009 The latest statistics from UNHCR
3 April 2009 The asylum seeker Australia sent home to be murdered (link goes to Melbourne "Age" newspaper)
2 April 2009 Prison cost-cutter with bad industrial record likely to get new detention management contract.
17 March 2009 New arrivals from Afghanistan show the Australian system still has serious problems.
20 March 2009 'Mental Death' is a very useful article to explain why certain long-term ex-detainees behave in certain ways.
18 March 2009 Outstanding debts for accommodation while detained — dropped at last!
31 January 2009 The story of 193 Burmese Rohingyas — and how Kevin Rudd's Labor government keeps its hands clean.
28 January 2009 The tragic drowning of probably nine people who set out in a boat trying to get to Australia.
16 January 2009 13 Afghans drown en route to Australia.

2008
9 December 2008 Enough, Stone and Turnbull; TPVs are in fact providing customers for people smugglers
4 December 2008 The Coalition's politics of fear
2 December 2008 Committee squanders chance to end failed mandatory detention policy
8 November 2008 Hunger strike in Villawood detention centre. We appeal to the Australian community to look beyond the constant stream of 30 second sound-bites and one paragraph press releases that are used to justify the treatment of asylum seekers.
5 November 2008 The arrival of two boatloads of asylum seekers is the first test of Labor’s new detention policy, writes Michelle Dimasi on Christmas Island.
7 October 2008 A second boat with 17 people has arrived. Let us get ahead of the dogfight.
3 October 2008 Fourteen asylum seekers arrive in a boat, and the new Opposition shifts like the sands.
16 September 2008 Four Corners screens video of brutality to lawful citizen.
25 August 2008 Rachel Evans gives a report back after a visit to Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney.
13 August 2008 Mr Ruddock Regrets. Too late now, Phil.
29 July 2008 Minister of Immigration Chris Evans announces a new direction in immigration policy.
28 July 2008"Minister's changes don't go far enough," from Ian Rintoul, RAC-NSW
28 July 2008 "Minister's changes don't go far enough" Media release from Ian Rintoul, RAC-NSW
12 July 2008 Four academics in Western Australia look at the role of the Australian community, in both allowing the hard-line treatment of asylum seekers by the Howard government, and in turning it around. (439Kb PDF)
16 June 2008 Chinese dissident commits suicide after forcible deportation
11 June 2008 Pamela Curr lists as many of the inquiries into detention that she can remember since 1997
10 June 2008 Government launches inquiry into detention
30 May 2008 Gates of Hell up for auction
14 May 2008 Major changes to the Immigration Act, but still no end to mandatory detention.
8 May 2008 Asylum Seeker Resource Centre media release. Watch out, Rudd. We're going to be back on the streets soon.
7 May 2008 Back to Square One. Massive community protest has returned no change whatsoever. Surprised? Not us.
22 April 2008 Read David Sparkes's report back written after RAC's public meeting, Open The Gate!
22 April 2008 Prominent lawyer says Labor's "Indian Ocean Solution" replaces former "Pacific Solution."
18 April 2008 The party's over! The figures are in, and the new government is not looking that good after all.
18 March 2008 Four whole months after the new government was elected, asylum seekers with no access to any kind of government support are still asking for the right to work so they can support themselves.
11 March 2008 Time to end privatisation of immigration detention centres.
1 February 2008 Who would ever think this day would come?
9 February 2008 Damaged souls caught in third wave of suffering.
26 January 2008 A little thing called citizenship.
25 January 2008 Message from Lombok, Indonesia, where the husbands and fathers have been taken away to force these families into "voluntarily" return to Afghanistan.
23 January 2008 Bad Australian example spreads around the world.
13 January 2008 Pamela Curr reports on another death in Villawood detention centre.
9 January 2008 HREOC release - good news, but still a lot of work to be done.
Dec 07 - Jan 08 Sri Lankans still stuck on Nauru
7 January 2008 The tiny little island of Nauru is in economic trouble and a lot of the blame must go to Australia
1 January 2008 John Winston Howard, former PM, some background

2007
24 November 2007 Federal election and a new government is elected. Does this mean a more humane regime for all of us, not just asylum seekers?
3 November 2007 ASIO ordered to release documents used to decide three men were dangers to national security.
29 October 2007 Sri Lankans still on Nauru, with nowhere to go, despite being recognised as refugees by Australian government.
4 October 2007 Saved by a Razor Blade. All too often, dangerous measures are required to avoid deportation.
2 October 2007 Facing an imminent election, and desperate to hold on to power, the Australian government pulls out The Race Card again, this time attacking Sudanese immigrants.
October 2007 Erecting a memorial to the people who drowned trying to seek asylum in Australia.
28 September 2007 Last week saw two Tanzanians returned. A Chinese man who has been tortured is to face removal next week.
27 September 2007 Confessions of a people smuggler. Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh tells of people smuggling in another era.
July 2007 The detention of Dr Haneef. once more highlights the seemingly limitless power of the Immigration Act.
June 2007 World's fastest growing refugee crisis. Read an article in Socialist Alternative magazine.
12 June 2007 Nauru still being used by Australia to dump unwated asylum seekers. Read these articles from The Age newspaper.
May 2007 Economic Management. The financial cost of detention centres.
April 2007 New life for Baxter detention centre? It looks like this concentration camp will soon hold soldiers.
Refugee swapping Was this set up by the sinister Ruddock?
April 2007 Terror stalks Chinese asylum seekers in Australian camps .
19 April 2007 Australia no help to Iraqi refugees - fleeing war caused by Australia.
22 March 07 Malaysia to do Australia's dirty work. Article in Age, with intro by Pamela Curr.
2007 and continuing Despite Kevin Rudd's promise to make Australia "a more humane place" nothing much has filtered down to the refugees.
Christmas Island Detention Centre "A gulag" 30 March article, Green Left Weekly.
3 March 2007 The Howard government is in trouble - so here comes that Race Card again.

2006
6 August 2006 Attempted Suicide in Baxter Detention Centre.
5 August 2006 Abandoned. How Australia treats child asylum seekers who arrive unaccompanied.

2005
December 2005 "Dumped at the Gate; From Detention to Despair, Recommendations for minimum standards for the Post-Detention settlement of Asylum seekers." Published by The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (PDF 583Kb)
28 October 2005 Speech by ‘Ali’ an asylum seeker on Lombok, read at GPO, Melbourne.
Open letter to the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon John Howard MP, drafted by a National Committee convened by Labor for Refugees.
Palmer Report RAC(Vic) hopes the Rt Hon John W. Howard PM's chickens are coming home to roost at last. The detention of two Australian citizens, and even the deportation of one of them, have opened up the cracks.
Baxter News Inspirationally, while incarcerated, a group of Baxter detainees managed to compile, publish and distribute a regular newsletter. Prior to the Easter 2005 convergence RAC obtained a copy of the latest issue, which included the results of a survey among detainees about the prospect of loss of privilege during the forthcoming protest.
Cornelia Rau Asylum seekers give their opinion about sharing their accommodation with an Australian person.
18 October 2005 Christine Rau speaks about her sister's experiences in Baxter detention centre.

2004
Chemical Restraint If someone is likely to physically struggle against deportation, it is common for the Department of Immigration to forcibly jab them with a syringe full of muscle relaxant. Read this transcript of an interview on Melbourne's community radio station, 3CR, between former ACM nurse Barbara Rogalla and human rights worker Charandev Singh.
Voices on the line While trying to get through on the phone to refugee friends locked up in Baxter detention centre, activist Tanya McConvell kept a record of her thoughts. Read her eloquent piece here. A warning to delicate people: "The magic word" makes frequent appearances.
War creates refugees Read this interesting article about why RAC opposes the occupation of Iraq.
16 November 2004 Stand up for refugees; statement by RAC.
September 2004 "Deported to Danger." 40 asylum seekers rejected and deported by the Australian government were followed to their destinations by Edmund Rice Centre for Justice & Community Education, who published their findings with the School of Education, Australian Catholic University. (PDF 747Kb)
Sydney RAC Activists recently organised a protest at Ruddock's house. Read this first hand report.
April 2004 "Tall Tales, But True" Almost every refugee activist has read, if not bought, this very well backgrounded book by David Maher and Marianne Wilkinson. Read this review. Then buy the book.

2003
December 2003 What was really behind the fires in the camps? Download this comprehensive background article.
December 2003 Report of the rooftop protest and crackdown at Port Hedland Detention centre.
April 2003 "Assaults." Refugee activist Pamela Curr records every detail in her attempt to get police to investigate brutality in Baxter detention.
Shame, Australia, Shame An article by Jane Keogh
15 April 2003 Independent Monitors required. Greens Spokesperson for Refugees, Pamela Curr, calls for independent monitoring of Baxter detention centre.
"Genuine" vs "Non-Genuine" from the point of view of one ethnic Hazara from Afghanistan. To get an insight into the problems Hazara face, both in Afghanistan and in their quest to come to Australia, read this interesting article. Requires Acrobat Reader which is a free program.
The Pacific Solution The government is trying to export Australia's refugees to surrounding Pacific nations. Taking the policy to task is this fact sheet.
Forced deportations RAC organised a campaign against forced deportations. As we built up an emergency phone network to stop the deportations we produced a leaflet from which this text is taken.
Launceston's pro-refugee campaign were an inspiration to all of us when they united in support of the Sawari family who subsequently had their TPV status reinstated.
1700 East Timorese are in Australia, some of whom have been here for 10 years. Now they face forced deportation! This interview with Fivo Freitas, a 28 year old East Timorese asylum seeker is an introduction to this crucial issue. Also included is an article by refugee advocate Gillian Davey who argues that giving residency to 300 East Timorese asylum seekers is not enough!
What are Australia's refugee numbers? Are refugees terrorists? What sort of accomodation do detention centres offer? View this article from the Edmund Rice centre for more information.
Iranian country info This report was compiled by RAC Canberra and looks at what Iranian refugees face if succesfully deported.
TPV holders are effective second class citizens in Australia, constantly in a state of limbo.
The Fall Guy Refugee activists believe the Mayor of Port Augusta was set up by the Prime Monster, John Howard.

2002
September 2002 In far north Western Australia Curtin Detention Centre, under the psychopathic management of Greg Wallis, was even worse than Woomera.
Late 2002 A visit to Baxter. Mullumbimby activist Sara Saint-Saens visited Baxter, and wrote about her impressions.
3 June 2002 Woomera Nurse speaks out. Nurse Noira-Jane couldn't stand it any more.
18 May 2002 Are the USA and Australia playing 'Swapsies' with refugees?

2001
There should be stacks from 2001 and 2002. God knows where it all is.
Do you have anything on your PC that you would like to share with us?
If so, please send it to refugeeaction@hotmail.com

2000
November 2000 Deportation to death. describing the rejection of an asylum seeker and his deportation to Algeria, ultimately leading to his death. This is an old but nevertheless highly relevant article from the Age.