2015-10-20
The Australian Greens have expressed their condolences for a 30-year-old Afghan Hazara man who came to Australia seeking safety but, tragically, died after setting himself alight in Victoria on Sunday.
"I was deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. My thoughts are with this young man's family and his friends," Senator Hanson-Young said.
"I have been told that his fear of being returned to immigration detention and sent back to Afghanistan drove him to take this extreme action. Despite questioning the Immigration Department in Senate Estimates yesterday, I'm disappointed that no one has been able to explain exactly what happened in this instance.
"What is clear is that the government's cruel treatment of refugees is having disastrous effects for people both in detention and in the community.
"There needs to be a full, independent investigation into this case so that we can understand why this young man didn't receive the support that he so clearly needed.
"As a nation, we need to think long and hard about how we treat people who have come to Australia seeking safety and care."
Media Contact: Noah Schultz-Byard 0427 604 760