A visit to the MITA ( Melbourne’s family friendly detention camp) on the night before Christmas Eve. Yesterday six men awaited release after years of detention.
Now two men remain, one looking at his seventh Christmas in detention. The other facing his fifth Christmas in detention.
Both have been found to be refugees by our system,
Both are now security cleared,
Both have been health cleared,
Both were told on Friday that they would be freed on Monday,
Both have emptied their rooms, packed all their personal things and had them checked and put in property for release yesterday after years of detention.
Finally at 5pm only four of the six men were signed out by the Parliamentary Secretary deputizing for the outgoing Minister. With no reason given, the other two men were told that they could wait until February when they might be released by a new Minister.
So tonight they return to empty rooms, sleeping in their only set of clothes as they try to face the disappointment of last minute refusal.
Such is the arbitrary mandatory detention system tolerated in this Australian democracy.
Happy Christmas.