Welcome to the stars, intrepid traveller.

Hello everyone,

http://www.chilout.org/

ChilOut is an Australian advocacy group that campaigns for the release of children from immigrant detention. It's unthinkable to believe that children are still being locked in detention (many are locked up for years) and yet it is still happening now.


There are now at least 628 children in detention sincee September 2010.

The Gillard government has announced that they'll be moving more children into the community. This is a huge step. However, there are still many children that are locked up in 'alternative accommodation'. In immigrant  residential housing children are monitored by CCTV, and accompanied by a security guard on the rare occasions that they can leave. Few refugee children can attend school, and excursions are rare. Housing tends to be cramped, and 150 Afghan boys haven't been released from Darwin Lodge since April 2010.

Read the Myths Vs the Facts here: http://www.chilout.org/index.php?p=1_10

You can also read the stories that these children have to say. It is simply heartbreaking and appalling: http://www.chilout.org/index.php?p=1_17 Many of these children have seen hunger strikes, fires and riots, in which tear gas and water cannons were used. There are refugee children who have been diagnsed with PTSD. They've fled from conflict, war and persecution - and their experiences in detention only worsen their distress.  

Hi everyone,

See this:

http://www.safecom.org.au/refugees1.htm

Get the real lowdown (facts) on refugees.

As outlined in Fact Sheet No 2, refugees are people who have been forced to leave their countries because they have been persecuted.

Rarely do refugees have the chance to make plans for their departure: to pack their belongings, to say farewell to their friends and families ... Some refugees have to flee with no notice, taking with them only the clothes on their backs.

Others, like the family that pretends to be going on a weekend break, have to keep their plans a secret from all around them in case they are discovered.

A significant proportion of refugees have experienced severe trauma. Many have been tortured. Arrivals to Australia have included survivors of the Balkan internment centres and "rape camps" and prisoners of war from the Gulf War.

Migrants
Migrants make a conscious choice to come to Australia. They are able to read about the country and learn about it from friends and families. They have time to study the language and explore employment opportunities before they make a final decision about whether to come.

One of the most significant differences is that migrants are able to pack their precious belongings and say good-bye to the important people in their lives.

Another very important distinction is that migrants can go home at any time if things do not work out as they had hoped or if they get homesick. They can also pick up a phone and talk to friends and relatives. Most refugees cannot.

People use words throw words like refugee and migrant interchangeably, and yet there is a world of difference between these two words. Words have power, and you can either misuse that power by misunderstanding them. Or you can use them well, by learning what they truly mean.