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A group of 30 Perth-based activists from the Refugee Rights Action Network (RRAN) travelled to Leonora detention centre on January 21 in solidarity with the hunger strike at Curtin detention centre and to call for an end to mandatory detention.

The group, which included teachers, students, tradespeople, social workers, as well as teenagers and children, had requested to fly kites and play cricket with the 55 children held in Leonora detention centre.

Serco, the private company that runs the detention centre, denied the request.

RRAN are concerned that the children have been locked up in the centre over the school holidays, and could leave the centre only for one hour each week.

Marcus Hampson, a social worker in mental health services and member of RRAN said: “While [the department of immigration] says they run daily excursions outside the centre, the reality is that each child only gets to do this once a week.

“I have been told by people employed at the detention centre that while many activities are scheduled on paper they are regularly cancelled due to a lack of staff to conduct them.”

A small group of protesters were able to meet with three women held in Leonora.



Serco said that some asylum seekers had declined to receive visitors. “People declining visitors has been an indication in the past of the deteriorating mental health caused by detention,” Hampson said.

“People who have been detained for long periods of time become so despondent that they give up on life and lose the motivation to socialise with visitors.”

Hampson said that people in detention may be reluctant to meet with advocates due to the intimidation they receive from the Serco guards: “We were informed by people detained in Leonora that three men attempted to walk to the fence to wave and greet the group of protesters.

“Those men were told by Serco guards that if they communicated with the [activists], photos would be taken which would get back to Canberra and be very bad for their visas.

“Stories of this type of intimidation by detention centre guards are emerging as a pattern from conversations I have had with people detained and employed in many of Australia’s detention centres.”

RRAN were told about the deteriorating mental state of the detainees, with stories of self-harm and suicide attempts, including one suicide attempt two weeks ago.

RRAN is energised by the bravery of the families locked in detention and the gratitude expressed by detainees. “One woman told us this was the happiest day they have had for a long, long time and they are very happy that we came to shout for their human rights.”

The group is planning another solidarity trip to Curtin detention centre, near Derby, in April.

[Abridged from Rran.org]