Aida’s Poem
by Prue Kozlovski Sometime ago, as a BMRSG volunteer, I was asked by a caseworker to support a young teenager, as the... Read More
Music as activism for refugees and asylum seekers
by Jude Finch On Sunday 6th November an excellent set of musicians underscored the need for urgent attention to refugee and asylum... Read More
Moving speech at Art Show
BMRSG held a very successful Art Show to showcase the work of artists who came seeking asylum and to raise money for... Read More
Submission to the Inquiry on the Migration Amendment (Repairing Medical Transfers) Bill 2019
BMRSG's submission as to why we do not support this bill. "We are concerned that this bill will slow the evacuation of seriously ill people from Manus and Nauru to Australia for specialist treatment thus exacerbating their disorders. Doctors and medical personnel must always be able make the decision for rapid medical evacuation in a society which values human life.
The previous system involved many levels of bureaucracy and constant court battles to enable medical transfers, an expensive and time wasting business."
Susan Templeman’s speech Migration Amendment (Repairing Medical Transfers) Bill 2019 Second Reading Speech
Member of Macquarie, Susan Templeman's speech opposing the repeal of the Medivac legislation.
MIGRATION AMENDMENT (REPAIRING MEDICAL TRANSFERS) BILL 2019 SECOND READING SPEECH
Since the Medevac laws passed in February, against the government's wishes, 110 refugees and asylum seekers have been transferred to Australia for medical treatment.
In a submission to a Senate inquiry examining the government's bid to unwind the laws, Dr Kerryn Phelps points out that about 80 per cent of cases were agreed to by the minister at the first instance and none have been refused on security grounds.
"The process is working as intended - an orderly system providing medical treatment for sick refugees in a timely manner," Dr Phelps said.
Wentworth Falls Launch of “No Friend But The Mountains”
by Roger Grealy Kathie Herbert and Joy Connor did us proud in organising and running the afternoon around the local launch of... Read More
Report on BMRSG visit to the federal politicians 18 and 19 June 2018
Joy Connor, Deputy Chair BMRSG visited politicians in Canberra with Marie Sellstrom President of Rural Australians for Refugees. First they met with Peter Dutton's main advisor and an advisor then they met with Shayne Neumann, Ged Kearney, Sue Templeman and the Advisor to Kristina Keneally.
At these meetings they discussed Immigration Detention, the use of handcuffs on people seeking asylum when they went to medical and counselling appointments, SRSS, resettlement, The Amendments to the Migration Act, the RAR Statement on People Seeking Refuge and Asylum and the Andrew Wilkie Bill.
Blue Mountains Refugee Support group holds vigil outside Macquarie MP’s office
Members of the Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group (BMRSG) took their campaign to the Windsor office of Macquarie MP, Susan Templeman, on Thursday, July 19.
The gathering was part of a national day of vigils held around Australia to mark the deaths of 12 male asylum seekers in permanent offshore detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru.
Twelve empty chairs and 12 pairs of shoes were placed outside Ms Templeman’s office to represent the death of each of the young men. Many of the men, aged between 23 and 34 years old, died from suicide, including overdose and self-immolation.
The vigils, named ‘Five Years Too Many’, also marked the fifth consecutive year of refugees and asylum seekers being incarcerated in these centres, established on July 19, 2013.
‘Five years too many’: a day of vigils for asylum seekers held across Australia
Members of the Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group combined with the Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children to hold a vigil outside the Federal Member for Lindsay Emma Hussar’s offices in Penrith on Thursday.
The gathering was part of a national day of vigils held around Australia to mark the deaths of 12 young male asylum seekers in permanent offshore detention centres created by the Australian government on Manus Island and Nauru. The vigils, named ‘Five Years Too Many’ also marked the fifth consecutive year of refugees and asylum seekers being incarcerated in these centres, established on July 19, 2013.
Twelve empty chairs and 12 pairs of shoes were placed outside Ms Hussar’s offices to represent the death of each of the young men.
2018 Human Rights Dinner keynote address by Behrouz Boochani
Standing up for human rights is about picking the battles that are long and exhausting precisely because they are the ones that matter the most.
Even after five years of misery and oppression, Behrouz Boochani hasn’t given up. So how on earth can any of us?
As he said in his keynote address via video from Manus island last night at the Annual Human Rights Dinner in Sydney:
“Our advocacy will be acknowledged as truly valuable and worthwhile only when we can secure the release and safety of the refugees imprisoned on these islands.”
Never give up. We won’t.