I am very pleased to announce that as of today all the asylum seekers  held in the Port Moresby Bomana prison have been released.

It appears the UNHCR have been involved in securing the release of the men. 

The men were detained in Bomana for a total 164 days. They were held in extremely harsh conditions designed to break their will. Reports are that the men are emaciated and in extremely poor health both physically and mentally. They still have a very long road to true freedom and recovery.

It is hoped that the UNHCR will also assist the men with resettlement options. 

For now the men remain in Port Moresby along with the remaining 200+ or so refugees and people seeking asylum who have been trapped in PNG for seven years. 

Until all of Australia’s refugees are resettled here or in another country where they can begin to safely and freely rebuild their lives, the battle for justice, humanity and compassion is far from over.

We must continue to hold the Morrison Government to account for the torture inflicted in the Australian funded Bomana prison. And we must continue to demand an end to the cruelty that Mr Morrison, Mr Dutton and others continue to deliberately inflict on innocent people who sought our protection

The fact that more than 5000 people signed this petition fills me with hope that the values of decency, kindness, fairness and love will prevail. 

So tonight I would like to thank everyone who signed and shared this petition to demand the release of the Bomana men. 

It is so important that we never lose faith in our own collective capacity to bring about change. 

From the bottom of my heart, Thank You. 

Michele xx