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Lombok Asylum Seekers
Need Urgent Help
Rural Australians for Refugees.
Last year, members signed petitions on the issue of Lombok asylum seekers, and I think some also wrote letters to MP's. I think they will be interested to read the letter, and may want to write another letter as requested.
The 21 Afghanis referred to are the only ones still on Lombok out of the group of more than 97 Iraqis and Afghanis who remained there in 2005-6. The other Afghanis and all the Iraqis have recently been moved to Jakarta, to await acceptance by countries who are willing to resettle them. At least they are legal residents of Indonesia for the time being.
Mohammad is a 23 year old Afghani asylum seeker from the province of Helmund and he was Felicia's contact on Lombok. He was there for 5 years. He spent much of his time there learning computer skills and voluntarily preparing and teaching English classes for the other asylum seekers, with almost no resources. With the help of his sister in NZ and refugee supporters, his application to NZ was successful.
Since receiving this letter, I have heard that the Australian government has announced that Australia will take half the Afghan and Iraqi people remaining, to be reunited with family in Australia, after the Indonesian government demanded that the situation be resolved. The Government is demanding that other countries take the other half still in Indonesia, leaving behind the 21 Afghan refugees on Lombok. There are 9 children in this group.
Pam Rowley
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Thank you for your help. We urgently need you help once again.
The good news is that from about 67 there are now 21 Afghan asylum seekers detained on Lombok. Mohammad has been accepted by NZ and is now studying English, others have been moved to Jakarta and interviewed by representatives of countries that will resettle them.
The bad news, and this is why we urgently need you help again, is that the 21 Afghan asylum seekers who are left on Lombok do not have protection status and are now illegal immigrants. The three families (eight children ages ranging from three to 19) and seven single people, are being coerced by IOM and Indonesian officials to return to Afghanistan which is becoming a war zone.
The people are at risk of being arrested by the Indonesian police and are being threatened with quarantine. People who have been in quarantine report a tiny cell with the bare floor to sleep on, starvation rations and an indefinite time, depending on how much money you have to bribe the guards.
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Attached is a form letter addressed to Kevin Andrews, the minister for immigration. You are welcome to put your name, date and signature and post it off, or write your own letter. Also, it would be good to write to the federal representative for your electorate and any one you feel may be able to take notice for whatever reason.
Every letter does count. Please send letters urgently and to many.
Thank you, once again for your support.
Warm regards, Felicia Di Stefano,
member South Gipplsand Rural Australians for Refugees
lsoft@bigpond.com (03) 5678 3294
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