Tell Qantas: Don’t deport Priya and Nades to danger

On Thursday next week, 9 August, there will be actions happening outside Qantas and Jetstar offices in Melbourne and Sydney urging the airline to publicly commit not to participate in the deportation of Priya and Nades, the Tamil asylum seekers from Biloela, or in any other asylum seeker deportation.

If you can’t make the actions you can also help to put pressure on the airline by bombarding Qantas on social media.

1. Take a photo of yourself or a group of friends or workmates with the signs here or here

2. Post it to Facebook or Twitter with a sentence saying something like: “Priya and Nades are facing deportation to danger in Sri Lanka. We’re calling on Qantas to commit not to participate in sending them back to danger.”

3. Tag Qantas into the post by including @Qantas on Twitter or Facebook.

4. Include the hastags #QantasTakeAStand #NoDeportationstoDanger #HometoBilo
You could also go to Qantas’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Qantas/ and comment on one of their own posts asking them not to participate in deportations.

Sydney action 12.30pm Thursday 9 August, Qantas head office, 10 Bourke St Mascot www.facebook.com/events/271987900023107/

Melbourne action 4pm Thursday 9 August, Jetstar corporate office, 79-81 Victoria Pde, Collingwood www.facebook.com/events/505470766557098/

Why are we targeting Qantas?

In the past, Qantas has carried out transfers within Australia of asylum seekers about to be deported. Qantas is based in Australia, and so more directly able to be pressured not to assist deportations. If we can get a guarantee from Qantas not to deport to danger, this will help increase pressure on other airlines to follow suit.

The Bring Priya, Nades and Girls Home to Biloela campaign is petitioning Qantas and 11 other airlines not to let Peter Dutton use their aircraft, pilots or crew to force baby Tharunicaa, toddler Kopika and their parents Priya and Nades, from Australia to danger.

See www.change.org/p/qantas-fly-these-queensland-born-sisters-home-to-biloela-not-to-danger

We are also appealing to airlines and the government to stop the deportation of Vietnamese asylum seeker Huyen, who faces being separated from his family in Australia
Sign the petition here www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/don-t-deport-huyen-stop-separating-families

Is this possible?

In June, Virgin Atlantic announced it would no longer assist the British Home Office in deportations from the UK.

In the US in the same month, airlines including American, Frontier, Southwest and United airlines refused to carry immigrant children being separated from their families under Donald Trump’s new “zero tolerance” border policies. In Germany Lufthansa pilots have refused on hundreds of occasions to fly asylum seekers to danger.

It’s time for Qantas and other airlines in Australia to do the same.

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