Christmas Island must be closed

June 15, 2018
Issue 
The Christmas Island detention centre.

A desperate rooftop protest by an Iranian refugee being held on Christmas Island was restarted on June 11 after being subjected to further inhumanity.

Ghazi (not his real name), and another refugee took to the roof of the detention centre in late May to protest the conditions and the lack of access to medical care. According to the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) both men had been in detention for over 3 years and were apparently taken to court and charged over an alleged incident prior to the May protest.

Back in May, RAC spokesperson Ian Rintoul described Christmas Island as “the Guantanamo of the Australia’s onshore detention regime”.

“For years the government has said Christmas Island was going to close; they have said it again this year. Now would be a good time to make good on the promise, and close the remotest of the detention centres for good.”

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