Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and the Federal Government have launched yet another unfair and extreme attack on refugees and people seeking asylum. 

They have thrown up to 100 Australia-based asylum seekers onto the street by immediately cutting their income support and giving them three weeks to find a place to live. These people were transferred to Australia from offshore detention centres for medical reasons. 

Under the new visa conditions, income support of about $200 a fortnight will cease and a three-week deadline to move out of government-supported accommodation will be imposed.

They are being told they must leave Australia and go back to harm on Nauru or Manus or to the same country from where they have fled persecution.

It is understood about 400 asylum seekers and their children are living in Australia at present after medical transfers from offshore processing and all of these people could be hit with the new visa conditions. This includes babies who were born in Australia and children attending Australian schools. Many of the women were transferred to Australia because they were raped - they should not be sent back to Nauru.

This is another attempt to return people to danger. 

What can you do?

Call Malcolm Turnbull, Bill Shorten and your local MP

Malcolm Turnbull - (02) 6277 7700

Bill Shorten - (02) 6277 4022

You can find your local MP and Senator and their contact details here. Simply type your postcode and you will find the name of your MP and their contact details.

Key Messages.

• It's time politicians showed leadership, put aside politics, let these people stay in Australia and work in a bipartisan way to bring other people on Manus and Nauru to safety.
• All we are asking is that people not be sent to unsafe places - many people were transferred to Australia because they were raped or assaulted in offshore detention
• There are people caught up in this who were born in Australia and are attending schools. Families who are part of the community are now facing the prospect of homelessness
• Many of these people come from countries where the situation is not safe, including Iran, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Our research tells us that people deported to these countries are at risk of further persecution. 
• Everyone has the right to live in safety. When we treat people seeking asylum with compassion and dignity, they can get on with rebuilding their lives in our communities

Be constructive, not argumentative

When talking to politicians and their offices, the most effective approach is to be conciliatory. We want to have constructive conversations - getting into arguments is not productive and just makes people defensive.