My name is Hazel and I’m a grandmother against removals of Aboriginal children from their mums, homes and communities. Right now, the government is planning to send off two Aboriginal kids to England with their foster family. Please sign and share this petition to stop the government from separating yet another Aboriginal family, in the middle of a global pandemic.

The Wiradjuri mother of the children was informed about the decision only on Thursday, a day before the planned flight on Friday. The travel is now delayed till the NSW department of Communities and Justice gets medical clearance for the kids. This could happen any moment. The kids could be flown away any moment now!

The mum fears she won’t be able to see her own children for months if they leave now. More than that, she fears they may be exposed to COVID-19 as they travel to Europe while the world is in a lockdown. "I don’t want my children leaving Australia, but there’s nothing I can do. They might get sick." she said. “These are my babies. I want them to stop my children from going to England." 

I am furious that the government has made the decision to fly the children to England without taking into consideration their biological family’s consent. The bottom line is that they are Aboriginal children, they’re Australian citizens. Despite a travel ban, they have been allowed to travel on compassionate grounds, which is absolutely ridiculous.

We are in a once-in-a-century situation with this pandemic. Now is the time to keep families together, not tear them apart. The kids have family members in NSW who are happy to care for the children.

"In my eyes... they’ve more or less kidnapped my children," the mother said. Please sign to stand up for First Nations people and oppose these children leaving Australia in the middle of a global health crisis.