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