Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Unions visit Villawood

Date: 17 September 2010

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, the overseas humanitarian aid agency of the ACTU, will take a second delegation of union officials to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre on 19th September 2010.

The delegation will include:

Jenny Diamond & Michelle Rosicky , NSW Teachers Federation
Paul McAleer, Maritime Union of Australia
Sally McManus, Australian Services Union
Michael Wright, Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union
Greens NSW Senator-elect Lee Rhiannon and Riz Wakil from the Australian Hazara Council will also be joining the group.
The group will meet with asylum seekers and refugees from a range of countries to better understand why people flee to Australia, the conditions of immigration detention, and the mental health effects of prolonged detention.

The visit comes during ongoing calls for the Federal Government to end its freeze on the processing of Afghan asylum seekers as ethnic Hazaras continue to be persecuted amidst escalating violence in Afghanistan.

Click here for a letter to the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd from 20 Trade Union and affiliated organisation leaders, expressing concern at the growing stance of indifference towards asylum seekers by both sides of politics.

For further information

Contact: Brami Jegan
Union: Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA
Phone: (02) 9264 9343
Contact Mobile: 0433 054 712
WWW: http://www.apheda.org.au

No comments: