Refugees and asylum seekers who have been detained for more than a year at a hotel in Melbourne’s northern suburbs will be moved to another location by the Australian Border Force.
At a meeting on Monday afternoon, Border Force officers told the men that they would be moved to another facility.Lawyer Alison Battisson, who represents some of the men who have been held at the Mantra, said they were upset by the announcement after rumours swirled on Monday that they would be released.The Mantra is Preston is being used to detain asylum seekers.“That is an absolute tactic by the department to keep people in the dark about their circumstances, which is very sad.
Alex Bhathal, a refugee advocate and former Greens candidate for the federal seat of Batman, said there were 100 families ready to host the men if they were released.