Two motions supporting refugee rights were passed at the Victorian Trades Hall Council on December 7. They were:
Oppose offshore processing and mandatory detention
Victorian Trades Hall Council supports the demands of asylum seekers on Nauru to be brought to Australia and to start processing of their asylum claims immediately. Offshore processing is cruel, expensive, discriminatory and unnecessary — it does not deter asylum seekers who have every right to seek asylum under both Australian law and the 1951 Refugee Convention. We call on the Australian government to end offshore processing and mandatory detention, and process all asylum claims in Australia.
Don’t deport to danger
Victorian Trades Hall Council recognises that it is not safe to deport asylum seekers to either Afghanistan or Sri Lanka, and resolves to oppose any attempt to forcibly remove asylum seeker a to Afghanistan or Sri Lanka or elsewhere to danger.
We therefore (i) call on the Australian government to refrain from deporting asylum seekers to Afghanistan, Sri Lanka or elsewhere to danger and (ii) call on the ACTU to convene a meeting of appropriate unions to discuss union action to prevent any asylum seekers being deported to danger in any countries. (iii) resolve to call convene a meeting of appropriate Victorian unions to discuss union action to prevent any asylum seekers being deported to danger.