petition (Australia): Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: Don’t abandon asylum seekers

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http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/acti...

A group of Iranian and Afghan asylum seekers from the Christmas Island detention centre arrived in Manus Island on Thursday. These are the first people to arrive under the harsh and inhumane policy announced by Kevin Rudd two weeks ago.

Under Australia’s new policy asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat will be locked up in a ‘tent village’ on Manus Island with limited access to even the most basic facilities. They’ll have no idea when their claims for asylum will processed.

Organisations such as the UNHCR have already warned that the volatile environment on Manus Island has the potential to spark tensions or self harm as the pressure and uncertainty of indefinite detention increases.

Let’s make it clear to Kevin Rudd that all people seeking asylum in Australia should be treated with fairness and compassion.