Jews call on all ALP delegates to the 48th ALP National Conference to stand up in solidarity with refugees
To the Delegates of the 2018 Australian Labor Party National Conference:
This petition of Jewish people living in Australia seeks to draw attention to the current problems in refugee policy in Australia. Too often we are seeing widespread scapegoating, dog whistling and fear mongering. We say: this must change.
As Jews, we have been strangers in a strange land, and we have learned that we must not wrong or oppress a stranger. As Jews, many of whose families have faced the violence of fascism and the terror of racist immigration policies, who have been refugees, we call on the ALP to be faithful to the idea that refugees and asylum seekers should be treated with the respect, honour and solidarity they are due.
In the spirit of equality, justice and solidarity we call on the 48th Australian Labor Party National Conference to adopt policies that will see:
- The immediate evacuation of all asylum seekers in offshore camps to Australia;
- The immediate abolition of on-shore detention of refugees and asylum seekers, and the provision of full financial and social support of those transitioning into the community;
- The immediate rescinding of any lifetime bans on travel to Australia for asylum seekers sent to third-party countries;
- The creation of safe passage and rescue mechanisms for asylum seekers;
- The abolition of the system of temporary protection and the offering of full and permanent protection visas to all refugees and asylum seekers.