Hazara People note: We do respect all ethnic groups, but Hazara People are not Afghan. Afghan or
Pashtun is another ethnic group in Afghanistan.
AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE
Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office
ACMRO offers sympathy on death of Afghan asylum seeker;
renews call for an end to mandatory detention.
Media Release,
29 March, 2011
The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office offer sympathy to the family of the Afghan man who died on Monday in immigration detention.
Director of the ACMRO Fr Maurizio Pettena highlighted the tragedy of the situation and offered prayers to those affected.
“Death in immigration detention is particularly tragic because the detainee’s last days are spent in despair, isolation and hopelessness, away from home and family”, he said.
“We will keep this man and his family very much in our prayers. At this stage, it is appropriate for DIAC to keep the details surrounding the death confidential out of respect for family members.
However, ACMRO strongly urges the Coroner to hold an inquiry to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this death”, he said.
The ACMRO today has also renewed its call to end mandatory detention, citing serious mental health concerns about the impact of detention on vulnerable people.
“Mandatory detention inflicts extreme suffering and frustration on already vulnerable people. We are all witnesses to the human cost of immigration detention. The government cannot deny that prolonged detention will likely result in instances of suicide. The fact that five asylum seekers in the last seven months have died, weighs heavily on the social conscience of Australia.
Australia already has one of the highest rates of youth suicide. The government must affirm the dignity of all human life and regard the lives of youth in detention as highly as it regards the lives of young Australians.
The ACMRO believes that choosing to isolate vulnerable people makes a difficult situation worse.
“Detention centres compound the anxiety and hopelessness of detainees who require extra support to compensate for the conditions they experienced in detention”, said Fr Maurizio.
“The government has a responsibility to ensure that when they detain asylum seekers, that they also provide adequate medical services. This response must go well beyond first aid. Adequate medical care for detainees must always include access to medical doctors and professional counsellors. These services are best provided on the mainland in accessible areas,” said Fr Maurizio.
For media enquiries or to arrange an interview with Fr Maurizio Pettena CS, please contact Beth Doherty on 0407 081 256
saadjaan
“WHY THEY ARE UNFORTUNATE” TO ALL THOSE WHO FAVOR THE MANDATORY DETENTION OF HAZARA ASYLUM SEEKERS IN AUSTRALIAN DETENTION CAMPS.do you honorable people know the plight of Hazara people living in Afghanistan(their motherland) where they are being treated like slaves in the racist regime of Hamid Karzai, where the racist khuchies & Taliban carry out massacre of innocent Hazara people, burn their houses and force them to leave their land, we all must know that if today America,Europe, Australia etc are living in peace is just because of the Hazaras of Afghanistan who resisted the taliban rule in Afghanistan and are now supporting the NATO,
now instead of supporting Hazaras who left their homes, loved once, families their motherland,who endanger their lives reaching Australia for asylum are being put in to the detention…for God sake these people suffered a lot….these are the people who sacrificed their freedom for your freedom….the suicide of a hazara youth in detention center is a tragedy…Australian government should take serious notice of the matter and re consider their asylum policy especially for the hazara people.