Freed Asylum Seekers of Bangladesh from Yongah Hill Immigration Detention centre: What does it mean?
Several Asylum seekers from Bangladesh have been released from the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre after a decade of detention by the Albanese Government.
Many hope that these releases of the asylum seekers on temporary six month visas are a sign of the Albanese government’s winding back of the arbitrary detention.
It is said that a total of eight asylum seekers are released from the immigration detention in Australia after languishing there for a decade.
While the release of these Bangladeshi asylum seekers have given hope to many but some have spoken about the terrible conditions and tolls of detention on these for a long period of time.
Almost 10 years have been lost to their lives. One man spoke about who will be responsible for the ten years lost of their lives. The most valuable time of their lives in their 20’s which has been lost due to unfair detention.
The asylum seekers were released on 10 November. They were released on temporary six month visas with work rights.
According to Refugees lawyer Alison Battisson, who represents six asylum seekers this step of the Albanese Government of releasing the asylum seekers is winding back arbitrary detention using the God like ministerial powers to clear the intractable caseload of people’s detention.
One client of the Lawyer Battison said that the conditions were horrible in the detention centre. They were hopeless, depressed, frustrated and uncertain of their future.
He said that the department didn't believe his claims of danger in Bangladesh and he was not assigned the status of refugee and given a suitable visa. He said that coming from Bangladesh, our cases are not a regular conflict zone as they are not black and white.
He said that he can not go back as he will be killed on his return. He also said that other who are in indefinite detention do not know when they will be released even after many years of detentions.
They will be given sleeping pills to overcome their anxiety and hopelessness. It's a nightmare for prisoners living in these detention centres. They don’t have any criminal charges and don’t know why they were held in these detention centres.
After the Albanese government took office, the new immigration minister, Andrew Giles and the immigration department were following new alternatives to hold detention for those who are a threat to Australian people.
There were 1,414 people detained in the immigration network of 12 detention centres, According to the incoming ministerial brief in April. Among them 14% of people are “unauthorised maritime arrivals” and 61% of people are there due to visa cancellations.
According to Battisson, the population of detention has “changed dramatically” in past years, there are fewer refugees and asylum seekers, and more people with cancelled visas. Many of these are victims of violence in detention centres.
