Protestors set up camp outside Home Affairs in Docklands

Protestors have been stopped in their attempts to set up tents outside the Department of Home Affairs office on Bourke St in Docklands as they brave freezing temperatures.

The sleep-in protest, which has been staged in support of temporary visa holders, relocated to Docklands on July 29 following the federal government’s cabinet reshuffle.

They had previously been camped outside the office of former Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil in Oakleigh.

Tamil Refugee Council advocate Aran Mylvaganam said officers from the City of Melbourne had visited regularly since protestors arrived and had warned of consequences if tents were set up.

“Council officers told us they would remove tents or mattresses left on the sidewalk, and Police said they would intervene if we did not co-operate,” Mr Mylvaganam said.

“These are refugees on temporary visas, and if they are charged with anything it will cause problems when they have to reapply.”

The Bureau of Meteorology recently said destabilised weather patterns had pushed Antarctic winds over Melbourne, causing “feels like” temperatures to plunge below zero degrees Celsius.

“Monash Council let us set up tents, but the City of Melbourne has refused,” Mr Mylvaganam said.

“It has been so cold; some people have been struggling to even sleep.”

A City of Melbourne spokesperson said, “We respect their right to protest but we cannot allow camping in the City of Melbourne.”

“We do have safety officers who check on people who are sleeping rough … they are checking on them periodically.”

But Mr Mylvaganam disputed claims of wellness checks, describing their visits instead as “intimidating”.

He claimed that a security guard within the Home Affairs office had been laughing at protestors as they handed out flyers.

The protestors are from local Iranian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Iraqi and other communities.

Protestor Vishnu Ranjith said his visa status meant he had to reapply every six months, leaving him in a state of perpetual uncertainty.

“We are all locals,” he said. “Some of us have been here for 12 years, we came here for protection.”

The Albanese Government scrapped temporary protection and haven enterprise visas in February 2023, but only allowed refugees who had arrived after Operation Sovereign Borders began in 2013 to apply for permanent residency.

Mr Mylvaganam said the rotation of policy under successive Coalition and Labor governments had left many refugees in permanent limbo, often impacting their health.

“If Labor loses the next election, the situation could change again,” Mr Mylvaganam said.

“We need the government to make a decision and solve the problems they have created”.

Mr Mylvaganam said the protest would continue “indefinitely” until refugees received a government commitment.

He praised Docklands locals for their response, saying they had been unperturbed, and were signing a petition of support in strong numbers.

He said donations of food and blankets were very welcome and encouraged locals to visit the protestors and hear their stories.