DOZENS of refugees held in a Kangaroo Point hotel for up to two years have been granted bridging visas and are being released to live in the community.
Twenty three Medevac refugees were released yesterday as well as another two refugees held at the Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation (BITA) detention centre.
From Kangaroo Point the refugees were taken by bus to the BITA detention centre for processing and release.
It is understood that they will be initially provided with three weeks accommodation after their release.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s (ASRC) detention advocacy team expects more people to be released from Kangaroo Point Hotel in the next few days, as well as from Villawood in Sydney and the Darwin Mercure Hotel where there are women and families being detained.
“While we welcome freedom for people after eight years of harm in indefinite detention, these releases have been arbitrary, with people who are in an identical legal situation to those being released, being left behind in detention centres across Australia,” the ASRC team said in a statement.
The releases are the first since 63 were released in December and January.
Around 130 people remain in detention, originally transferred from Offshore Processing for medical treatment in Australia, including under the Medevac legislation.
“There is no distinction between the refugees who are released and those still in detention; the government’s lack of transparency and chaotic release of Medevac refugees is causing increased anxiety and stress among those left behind,” a spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, Ian Rintoul, said.
“The refugees are effectively being resettled in the community, yet the government is dumping them on bridging visas and will not provide the support they need to survive and thrive in the community. They can’t be sent home, or back to offshore detention, yet they are left with an uncertain future.”
Nina Field, a ASRC detention advocacy caseworker, said many of the refugees being released have experienced severe mental health deterioration over the past months and years.
“People will need support and time to recover, but what people most need is a certain future and a permanent home,” Ms Field said.
