Yesterday, around 200 people demonstrated in Punchbowl on Dhurag Land, in Sydney’s south-west, to plea for permanent visas for refugees.
The protest comes just days after 23-year old Tamil refugee, Mano Yogalingam, self-immolated last Wednesday in Melbourne, after being stuck on a bridging visa for 12 years. Mr Yogalingam arrived by boat to Australia as an 11-year old child. Bridging visas are temporary protection visas which ultimately put asylum seekers in suspended limbo and forced poverty.
Many of yesterday’s protestors were Tamil, who have been forced to flee their country as a result of persecution, which some describe as genocide. Tamil asylum seekers have been camping outside of Immigration minister, Tony Burke’s electoral office for the last 27 days. Many of these asylum seekers have been caught under the controversial ‘fast-track’ assessment process, which can reject visa applications and either force refugees back to their country of persecution, or have them live in limbo in Australia, temporarily, without support and in poverty. Another encampment in Melbourne, Naarm, outside Home Affairs minister, Claire O’Neil’s office, has been going on for nearly 50 days.
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