LAWYERS FOR WOOMERA REFUGEES

Statement at 15/8/01

Our interest was ignited following an Australian ABC TV programme 4 Corners in late 2000.

The group comprises a loose alliance of lawyers and other people who are interested in social justice issues.

As one of them said referring to the Government's treatment of Refugees being detained at Woomera:

³How dare they do this in our name and in our backyard!²

The overriding aim of the group has been to find ways to advocate for humane treatment of Refugees who arrive by boat in Australia.

The Woomera Detention Centre was set up in late 1999 and holds up to 1,500 people. At times it has been full with as many as 250 children facing mindless boredom with no serious education options.

The Woomera Detention Centre is under the control of the Department of Immigration who have some staff on site.

Australian Correctional Management (³ACM²) provide staff and run the camp.

People from the Middle East who arrive in boats predominantly are the Refugees detained at Woomera. They include doctors, engineers, university professors and accountants.

The experience of a large number of Refugees at Woomera during 1999 and 2000 was that what they were told was at best simply wrong and at worst mischievous by some ACM guards and some DIMA staff. Access to TV, radio, newspapers and telephone was initially non existent and has improved. The major complaint can best be summarised as they were shown a complete lack of respect having regard to Australian obligations in relation to Human Rights.

The group has raised a number of issues affecting Refugees via the media.

We issued High Court Proceedings challenging the conditions at Woomera as being illegal. Those proceedings have been withdrawn.

The group has made about 8 visits to Woomera and arranged for former detainees to visit their friends and family at Woomera.

The group has provided legal representation for a number of people in the Federal Court appealing successfully against adverse decisions by the Refugees Review Tribunal.

The group is committed to providing ongoing legal support to people detained at Woomera.