Picture this; you are a five year old Afghani child.

The Taliban have raided your village, and have

killed all your family except your uncle and one of your sisters. You hide for years in Pakistan. Your
sister marries an older man. She does not love him, but she needs safety and security. She sells
everything she owns for you, until you finally have enough money for a boat trip to Australia. You go
through China. Thailand. Malaysia. Finally, you arrive at a dock. You board a rickety boat to safety.
Australia. When you arrive you are imprisoned in a jail on Christmas Island.

The story I have just told you happened to an Afghani boy named Hussein. He was 15 when he was
detained by the Australian Government. He was alone. He was terrified. He was captured. The
Australian government must allow asylum seekers to enter Australia, to offer them a chance to start
a new life away from war. Mandatory detention must be abolished as it causes significant mental
harm to asylum seekers. By allowing asylum seekers to enter Australia, the Australian government
could also help stop the stigmatisation of refugees in the Australian community, often caused by
asylum seekers being seen as a political issue, not a humanitarian issue.

Firstly, Australia must allow asylum seekers to enter the country, to allow them the chance to start a
new life, free from the horrors of war. Asylum seekers arrive in the country, seeking safety and
peace, after living in horrific environments, where they are often deprived of basic human rights.
Many flee persecution; for their religion, their political beliefs and more. They flee torture and
death, seeking safety in Australia; a new life.  By allowing asylum seekers into the country, we are
inviting them to experience freedom; freedom from the horrors that have dictated their entire lives.
These people seek a new life, and the Australian government needs to allow asylum seekers to enter
the country, to give them this opportunity.

Secondly, Australia must stop the practice of mandatory detention to ensure the mental wellbeing of
asylum seekers. After fleeing violent, war-torn countries refugees often arrive with significant mental
scars. They come to Australia expecting freedom from war and detention, but they are put in a
facility surrounded by barbed wire…like criminals. Australia’s policy of mandatory detention means
that everyone is locked up, including small children. Ongoing detention, combined with scars from
war, means refugees are extremely likely to suffer from severe depressive illnesses. In 2006 a report
was released which revealed that of ten children surveyed, every single child suffered post-traumatic
stress disorder and major depressive disorder. Eight of ten pre-schoolers assessed had
developmental and emotional difficulties, and 70% had spent at least half their lives in detention.
This clearly proves that mandatory detention causes more harm, than good. Australia obviously
must stop the practice of mandatory detention, to ensure the mental wellbeing of asylum seekers.

Finally, by allowing asylum seekers to enter the country, the stigmatisation of refugees in the
Australian community could be reduced, as it is mainly caused by asylum seekers being seen as a
political issue, not a humanitarian issue. Every week when you turn on the news you see politicians
crying about the “refugee epidemic,” and how we must “stop the boats!” Politicians often refer to
asylum seekers as “illegal immigrants” Do you think they are here illegally? They aren’t. We are a
signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention, meaning it is legal to seek asylum in Australia,
even if you arrive by boat without a visa. The way asylum seekers are perceived in the community,
as ‘illegal’ or ‘queue jumpers’, is caused by the issue being seen as a political issue. By locking asylum
seekers in detention we let the community view them as prisoners who need to be locked up
because they have committed a crime. By abolishing mandatory detention the stigmatisation of
refugees in the community would be reduced as images of refugees in a ‘jail’ would not be seen
most nights on the news. Australia must allow asylum seekers to enter the country to stop the
stigmatisation of refugees in the Australian community.
Hussein, the Afghani boy I spoke about earlier, was released from detention three months later. He
now lives in Brisbane, with a new family. He is learning English, and he attends school. He has a new
life, free from war.

Hussein is now living in the community, but there are still many, many more people like him
imprisoned in detention. After I finish talking to you today, think about asylum seekers, such as
Hussein. Consider the way you will vote next year, and choose a party who will stand up for the
rights of asylum seekers. Change your mindset; do not think of these people as ‘illegal’. Think of
them as people, who seek safety and freedom in our country. Thank-you