Refugee Action Collective (Vic)

Media release

MEDIA RELEASE 7/03 | ANOTHER VILLAWOOD SUICIDE ATTEMPT

A 27 year-old Afghan asylum seeker has been taken to hospital following his attempt to hang himself in the high security Blaxland compound of the Villawood detention centre (Thursday 7 March).

He was found around 5.00 am. His present condition is unknown.

He has been held in detention since 2012.

“The terrible toll of indefinite detention cannot be ignored any longer. The government is deliberately using immigration detention to inflict extra-judicial penalties. The suicides and attempted suicides that we are seeing in detention are the inevitable consequences of the those policies,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition

Protests in the MITA and Yongah Hill detention centres against long term detention and the arbitrary Ministerial powers have been continuing for over 50 days.

For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713

Media release

MEDIA RELEASE 5/03 | REFUGEE SUICIDE DEMANDS IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ALL ‘AT RISK’ DETAINEES CLOSE ALL THE DETENTION CENTRES

“The tragic death last night of the second immigration detainee in less than two months, demands immediate action from the government,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, ” The government must immediately release all ‘at-risk’ detainees from immigration detention.

“It is clear the mental health crisis that is created by long-term detention, cannot be managed from inside the detention centres. Musa’s suicide death two months ago in Villawood was a stark warning that has been ignored by the government. Attempted suicide is almost daily occurrence in Australia’s detention centres.

“People are unnecessarily being held in immigration detention. Just like offshore detention, the onshore detainees are hostages to the government’s electoral strategy.

“The detention centres should be closed.”

Video clips of the situation last night (Monday 4 March) in Villawood’s La Trobe compound, in the aftermath of the Iraqi refugee’s suicide, are attached.

Protests against long-term detention and arbitrary powers that allow the Minister to cancel visas and effectively hold people in indefinite detention continue inside MITA, Melbourne’s detention centre and at Yongah Hill.

For more information, contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713