Category News

RAC activist Margaret Sinclair reported on the situation for refugees in Indonesia to the executive of the Victorian Trades Hall Council on 23 June.

The executive carried the following motion unanimously.

Victorian Trades Hall and its affiliates note that 14,000 refugees are trapped in Indonesia, most for eight years and many for ten years or more.

Australian governments have contributed to this inhumane situation. In November 2014, Scott Morrison, then Minister for Immigration, announced that Australia would not accept any refugees who applied through the UNHCR for resettlement after 1 July 2014.

Refugees in Indonesia are not allowed to work, study, get a driver’s licence or get married.

Before the 2022 federal election, Labor said it would give “appropriate consideration” to resettlement of those recognised as refugees in Indonesia by the UNHCR.

Its policy also stated: “Subject to Australian vetting processes and sovereignty concerns Labor will positively consider such refugees for inclusion within the increased humanitarian intake.”

One year on from the election, Victorian Trades Hall therefore calls on the Labor federal government to lift the ban on refugees arriving in Australia from Indonesia through the UNHCR program and expedite their transfer.

Victorian Trades Hall encourages all affiliates to invite speakers from refugees who have been in Indonesia, and from the Refugee Action Collective.

On Tuesday 7 March the RAC activists who had been fined in 2020 for our car cavalcade outside the Mantra Hotel, to show support for Medevac refugees detained there, went to Heidelberg Court for a contest mention. We held a brief protest out the front.

The magistrate listened to our lawyer summarise our case: that we were exercising “care and compassion”, one of the permitted reasons for leaving the house, and that we were volunteering as RAC volunteers, again another permitted reason for leaving the house. 

The magistrate asked a few questions, and then asked the police why it was in the public interest to pursue us.

He told the prosecutor to go away and make phone calls to ensure that she really did have instructions to pursue the case. 

We came back after lunch to hear that yes, she really did have those instructions. She confirmed that our case was with “senior legal” because of its high profile. 

The magistrate set yet another mention for 5 May, one last chance for the police to drop it. 

Then the magistrate dealt with two of our party who wanted a sentence indication. He essentially gave them a “proven” with no sentence. So they don’t have to pay their fines, and they don’t have a “guilty” conviction recorded either. Another slap to the prosecutors. 

RAC activists don’t have to attend on 5 May, so there won’t be a protest. But once we have a date for the real hearing then we’ll welcome as many people as possible to stand up for the right to show solidarity with refugees.

Read more about the case.

RAC’s Art Meets Activism art auction on Saturday 12 November was a huge success, with more than 100 attending and 90 per cent of artworks sold.

The in-person auction and online, silent auction raised more than $40,000 between them.

Refugees whose works sold received 100 per cent of the bid price. The remaining income, after expenses, will be split between the Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project (BASP) and RAC.

RAC would like to thank the artists whose generous donations of their work made the event possible, sponsors, the auctioneer and those who attended.

BASP uses donations to help feed, house and clothe refugees and asylum-seekers. RAC will use its share of the proceeds to step up the campaign for refugee freedom.