Am I surprised that our government is so lacking in basic empathy and compassion that they voted to repeal a law created specifically to help sick refugees? Unfortunately not.

The medevac bill (short for medical evacuation) was created to help the many refugees we have locked up in offshore detention that need urgent medical care. Which was only recently passed through, by the way. But now, they’re actively blocking vulnerable unwell people from receiving medical aid.

It’s doctors not politicians who should decide the medical care of sick refugees. Dutton is simply playing politics today in Parliament trying to start the repeal of #Medevac. A process his own Minister supports in 80% of all applications. It works. It’s saving lives. Save it — Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) July 24, 2019



From malnourishment, to disease, to injuries and burns and attempted suicides, the asylum seekers trapped in offshore detention are suffering. How the medevac bill works is that when two doctors approve that a refugee is in need of medical treatment, it goes to the minister who has a couple of days to approve or deny the transfer. Now, they’re trying to change it so asylum seekers can’t access medical care anymore. Why? I don’t know. There is not a single reasonable argument. It’s a human right. Repealing the bill is scary and dangerous, but it still needs to pass the Senate, so for now hope is not completely lost. Although my faith in this government is dwindling.

Manus and Nauru are Australia’s own horrid concentration camps, and there’s already heaps of accounts of the brutality that goes on there. The suicide rate of detainees just keeps climbing, and for some reason our government is intent to hold onto them.

Jacinda Ardern, Queen of Australasia, offered to take some of our detained asylum seekers and give them a home in New Zealand. And old mate Peter Dutton rejected it. Why? Because “it’s not the right time” apparently.

Dutton is lying to the public about #MedeVac 80% of MedeVac cases have been approved by his own Minister Independent Health Panel is appointed by him Not one person brought here or refused under MedeVac has had character issues No boats coming MedeVac is doctor led & orderly — Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) July 25, 2019

Even the Papua New Guinea PM is asking when TF Australia is going to actually process the refugees locked up there – because there’s still over 200 detained with no freedom in sight.

“We sympathise with them. We want this trouble to come to an end, for them to find a place to go to,” he said.

And honestly, we don’t even know half of what the fuck goes on there. The gov has a media ban on Manus and Nauru (democracy, who?) and also deports anyone trying to get in and see what’s going on – like Nick Mckim.

“What we are seeing is the result of six long years of an extremely punitive and cruel policy in which the Australian Government has deliberately and consistently denied refugees essential and critical medical care.” – Katie Robertson, legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre.

This comes as an even bigger blow when just last week, Australia had thousands of people protesting all over the country against the cruelty of offshore detention centres. The outrage is real, and people are letting it be known.

BREAKING: The #Medevac law has been crucial for 96 refugees to be medically evacuated from offshore detention. The Medevac repeal has just passed the House & we call on all Senators to block Medevac’s repeal in Nov. #SaveMedevac https://t.co/xETlUnGJUB — RACS (@RACSaustralia) July 25, 2019

Image Sources: Twitter @RACSaustralia, @Kon__K.