MELBOURNE – Thousands of Australians have
gathered in rallies in support for asylum seekers, both facing deportation to
offshore detention centres and currently being held in PNG and Nauru under the
federal government’s refugee policy.

The Welcome Refugees Rallies
took place in cities throughout the country including Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra,
Brisbane and Adelaide.

Organisers say more than
50,000 people across Australia turned out for the national rallies on Palm
Sunday, calling for compassionate treatment of asylum seekers.

Demonstrators reported a large
turnout of more than 10,000 in Melbourne, where the rally was addressed by
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Daniel Webb from the Human Rights Law Centre
and former asylum seeker Nasir Yousafi from the Afghan Australian Association
of Victoria among others.

Protestors are calling for the
Australian government to stop the deportation of 267 refugees back to Nauru or
Manus Island.

– TiVi Tuan-san