On October 22, hundreds of people marched through the streets of the CBD to show support for refugees demanding permanent residence visas.
The action was organized on the 100th day of a 24/7 encampment that began in front of then Home Secretary Claire O'Neill's office in Oakley on July 15 and then moved to the Home Office in the Docklands.
To the accompaniment of drums, refugees called for permanent visas to be granted to more than 9,000 refugees who have been living on temporary visas for more than 12 years after their applications for refugee status were rejected in the flawed “fast track” process. I asked for it.
Participants included refugees, including many Tamils and their children, refugee rights organizations, Palestinian activists, trade unionists, housing justice campaigners, socialist parties and the Green Party.
Lachie Bartolothe, a Tamil refugee on a bridge visa, took part in the rally and claimed Labor acknowledged the “fast track” process was unfair but had not offered a solution.
Tom Olsag, a former construction worker and member of the Construction, Forestry and Mining Employees Union, said refugees' lack of permanent residency makes it easier for employers to use them as cheap labor.
Katerina, an organizer with the United Labor Union, which works with farmworkers, said securing visas is a challenge for unions, along with securing jobs and wages.
Also speaking were Tamil refugee Prasanth, indigenous activist Oscar Martin, Palestinian activist Tasneem and Kon Karapanagiotidis of the Asylum Seeker Resource Center.
Refugees will continue their campaign and will hold a rally at the State Library on November 9th at 5:30 p.m.
A group of refugees camp outside Labor MP Julian Hill's office in Dandenong.
