This February 27 will mark one year since 15 refugees were transferred under the now-repealed Medevac law to Darwin from Nauru.
Like many other refugees transferred for medical reasons, they have not been given the attention they need. Instead, they have been imprisoned indefinitely in a compound near the Mercure Hotel at Darwin Airport.
They have no knowledge of what their future holds.
The federal government, in particular Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, is using these 15 people as political pawns. Prior to their arrival in Australia, they were imprisoned on Nauru for 7 years.
These people have lost nearly a decade of their lives because of bipartisan cruelty.
The Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network (DASSAN) is spearheading a campaign for their freedom by organising daily vigils outside the hotel.
DASSAN is a community-based network of volunteers, set up in 2010. Activists have been organising daily protests for nearly four weeks. Each Saturday nearly 200 people have been gathering to call on the government to end its inhumane treatment.
[DASSAN encourages everyone who supports refugee rights to join. Connect at DASSAN on Facebook or Instagram @freetheDarwin15.]