When refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island were forcibly removed from their detention centre last week and taken to alternative accommodation, many of their belongings were damaged.
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About 70 mobile phones the men used to keep in contact with their loved ones and supporters were crushed in the process.
Bagshot woman Pip Byrne knows this because, for the past three years, she has shared phone conversations with about 25 of the men on Manus, many of whom she has made contact with since Friday’s raid.
“They were terrified on Friday with most thinking they would be killed,” she said.
“[I’ve] heard their stories and struggles – they are harrowing.”
Now Ms Byrne is asking Bendigo residents to donate their unused mobile phones to replace those that belonged to the refugees in Papua New Guinea.
“I am an expat mum, so I know what it’s like to have a loved one a long way away,” she said.
“I can’t imagine, as the international media reported on this atrocity, not being able to contact my son and the fear that would have instilled.”
Other Australian supporters are fundraising to provide the men with SIM cards and phone credit.
Ms Byrne, who called herself an advocate – not an activist – said she understood Australians’ fear of refugees, but believed most people did not know the “rigorous” processing that took place before an asylum seeker was declared a refugee.
What surprised her, however, was that people were not more upset about the cost of detaining these people in offshore centres on Manus Island and Nauru.
Still, she believed her country could be more generous with its refugee intake and doing so would reap rewards.
“There are men with valuable skills there, like engineers, teachers, journalists, architects and more,” Ms Byrne said.
“There’s even some who worked with US and Australian forces as translators, drivers and builders – surely we owe them more than abandonment?”
“The men on Manus have been there for nearly 1600 days. All they want is freedom in a safe country, I don’t think that’s too much to ask for some of the world’s most vulnerable?”
Donated phones should be in working order and include a charger. Contact Ms Byrne on 0421 861 986 to arrange collection.
Mark Kearney
Journalist. Traveller. Pop culture connoisseur. Mark is passionate about education, the arts and social justice, especially stories affecting the LGBTI community.
Journalist. Traveller. Pop culture connoisseur. Mark is passionate about education, the arts and social justice, especially stories affecting the LGBTI community.
