For many Australians, January 26 is celebrated as ‘Australia Day’, marking the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove in 1788.
However, for many First Nations people, it is a day of mourning, survival, remembrance, and ongoing pain. It marks the start of the invasion and colonisation of this land, the mass genocide of First Nations people, the dispossession of cultural practices, language, and Country, and the beginning of systemic and ongoing injustice.
January 26 is not a day to celebrate.
The Asylum Seekers Centre stands in solidarity with First Nations people on January 26 and every day.
As a human rights organisation, we actively oppose systemic injustices and work to shape an Australia where everyone is welcome, supported, and treated with fairness.
While we welcome people who have fled persecution and are seeking asylum in this country, we recognise that sovereignty was never ceded, and this land always was, always will be Aboriginal land. We also acknowledge that for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australia is not a place of safety and freedom from persecution.
Instead of celebrating on January 26, there are a number of ways to stand in solidarity with First Nations people:
The Asylum Seekers Centre acknowledges that sovereignty was never ceded and recognises the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay respect to their elders past and present and extend that to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.
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