Reports that the Federal Government will reopen the Christmas Island Detention Centre highlight the failure of the Minister for Home Affairs to appropriately respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 in immigration detention. Today it was revealed that preparations are underway to staff the centre on the remote island, which is located 2,700km from Perth.
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A COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne detention facilities is imminent, with hundreds of lives of already sick people at risk from daily exposure to transmission. Up to 70 rotating staff work daily across different detention facility locations, in similar staffing and close contact conditions that caused lethal outbreaks in Aged Care centres. People detained at facilities
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COVID-19 and the ASRC Last night (Monday, 27th July), the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) was advised by a staff member that they had tested positive for COVID-19. The ASRC has developed strict COVID-19 protocols and carefully planned for our organisations’ response to a potential positive COVID-19 case according to the advice of Victoria’s Chief
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New Zealand granting Behrouz Boochani asylum is a strong reminder to the Morrison Government that there is a viable solution to 7 years of failed asylum policy. Across Australia, the Government is detaining thousands of refugees in private hotels as well as detention centres. The Morrison Government also continues to detain more than 370 people
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The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) welcomes the Premier’s announcement this morning that reusable and disposable masks will be provided to a range of community organisations, including the ASRC, to help protect the highly vulnerable people they support. With no access to the Federal Government’s COVID-19 safety net and financial support packages, people seeking asylum
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