Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
14 Sep 2012
The Gillard Government has created a recipe for disaster, warns Father Jim Carty as between 40 to 50 male asylum seekers landed in Nauru this morning, the first arrivals under the Gillard Government's version of off-shore processing.
Father Carty, Coordinator of Marist Asylum Seekers and Refugee Services says putting men who are already traumatised into crowded non-air conditioned tents on Nauru where they will sleep on a palliasse, or straw-filled mattress, on a duckboard floor enduring oppressive heat, tropical storms combined with the island's remote isolated location makes for a toxic cocktail.
Although the initial group that arrived in Nauru today numbers less than 50, within a few months more than 1500 asylum seekers will be detained on Nauru with a further 600 detained on the reopened detention facilities on Manus Island.
While women including those who are pregnant along with their children and unaccompanied minors are expected to be housed in another part of Nauru until permanent accommodation can be built, for at least six months male detainees sent to the Island will be housed in army-issue tents.
Fr Carty describes tents as "incubators for disease" and predicts outbreaks of fungal infections and tropical diseases for those forced to live in tents with no air conditioning and subject to constant heat, humidity and muddy wet floors from the rains.
"The Government may think it is solving a problem by putting asylum seekers out of sight on a remote island, but it is also creating a multitude of other human-related issues as well as breaking United Nations Conventions on Refugees and the Rights of the Child."
With its stifling heat and tropical rain, Nauru which lies only one degree south of the equator combined with indefinite detention which may see many remaining on the Island for 10 or even 20 years under the Government's much-touted "No Advantage Policy," Fr Carty has no doubt that even in the first few months on the Island, detainees will suffer adverse long term effects to their physical, mental and emotional health.
"We know suicide, self-harm and long term damaged to mental health were issues for asylum seekers held on Nauru during the Howard era. Yet under the Gillard Government's policy asylum seekers have even fewer protections and far more uncertainty," he says.
The frustration, anger and despair felt by asylum seekers, particularly among young men who will comprise a large proportion of those held on Nauru, may well erupt into violence, he warns.
"The Island only has a small population of around 9,000. But once the government's off-shore processing plan is fully implemented, asylum seekers will comprise more than 13% of the Island's population, and if conditions become so dire for many of these asylum seekers, it is difficult to see how the small isolated community will be able to cope."
While the Government is playing details of this morning's flight from Christmas Island to Nauru close to its chest, it is believed that as many as 90 APF were on board with the first load of asylum seekers and will remain on the Island for several weeks as more asylum seekers arrive.
But so far the Government has given no indication how long the police will remain on Nauru, or whether more AFP will be needed as the numbers of asylum seekers swell and the detention centre on the Island fills to capacity.
Fr Carty who has worked with refugees and asylum seekers for more than 32 years, says while there are many issues to be addressed, the Government's decision to house men in tents is rash.
Tents are totally inadequate as housing on a tropical island, he says and points to the riots on Christmas Island in February 2011 which were triggered when men were forced to live in overcrowded marquees.
"The marquees were sodden each day by tropical rains. The floors were muddy and although the marquees had air conditioning, the roar of the generators gave those housed there, no peace and no respite from the noise," he says and recalls the explosion of misery and despair that had detainees setting the tents and buildings on Christmas Island ablaze with Molotov cocktails.
"The army issue tents on Nauru may be quieter as they are not equipped with air conditioning despite the Island being only a couple of hundred kilometres south of the equator," Fr Carty says and describes living in these tents "like living in a permanent sauna."
The priest is also concerned about unaccompanied minors being sent to Nauru.
"Under Australian law a minor is anyone under 18. At 17 some of accompanied minors who are asylum seekers are already physically mature and built like full-backs. But by age they are considered minors and will be housed with other minors some of whom will be as young as 7 or 8. Who is going to maintain a vigil for caring for this wide age range and to ensure they are well looked after?"
Despite Government assurances that children held in detention will be able to attend Nauru's schools, Fr Carty doubts this will be possible. Not only would the numbers overwhelm the Island's small number of schools but there is also the issue of language with teachers on Nauru ill-equipped or trained to educate asylum seeker children most of whom do not speak English.
"But bottom line is that the Government's new policy has failed. Just one month after it was legislated in Parliament it is dead in the water," he says. "Since 13 August when the Government announced its intention to reopen Nauru and Manus Island detention centres for off-shore processing, more than 2100 asylum seekers have landed on our shores. Still unfinished, Manus Island detention centre has the capacity for 600 while Nauru is planned to eventually hold 1500. So what happens to others who arrive here next week or the week after?" he asks.
Over the next 12 months he says rather than easing, the numbers of desperate displaced people trying to reach safety in countries like Australia is set to increase as Syrian Christians flee the bloody civil war in their homeland and US and Coalition troops pull out of Afghanistan.
"The Taliban will take its revenge on anyone who aided the US and Coalition and resume its terrible slaughter," he predicts.
For Fr Carty and many others involved with asylum seekers and refugees, the issue is becoming increasingly complex and more and more difficult to solve. Hopes for a regional solution which many, including Fr Carty believe is the only long term answer, were dealt a severe blow this week when five members of the Indonesian military charged with people smuggling, named a member of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's security staff as one of the master minds.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
14 Sep 2012
Tent city set up on Nauru
Father Carty, Coordinator of Marist Asylum Seekers and Refugee Services says putting men who are already traumatised into crowded non-air conditioned tents on Nauru where they will sleep on a palliasse, or straw-filled mattress, on a duckboard floor enduring oppressive heat, tropical storms combined with the island's remote isolated location makes for a toxic cocktail.
Although the initial group that arrived in Nauru today numbers less than 50, within a few months more than 1500 asylum seekers will be detained on Nauru with a further 600 detained on the reopened detention facilities on Manus Island.
While women including those who are pregnant along with their children and unaccompanied minors are expected to be housed in another part of Nauru until permanent accommodation can be built, for at least six months male detainees sent to the Island will be housed in army-issue tents.
Fr Jim Carty has worked with refugees and asylum seekers for more than 35 years
"The Government may think it is solving a problem by putting asylum seekers out of sight on a remote island, but it is also creating a multitude of other human-related issues as well as breaking United Nations Conventions on Refugees and the Rights of the Child."
With its stifling heat and tropical rain, Nauru which lies only one degree south of the equator combined with indefinite detention which may see many remaining on the Island for 10 or even 20 years under the Government's much-touted "No Advantage Policy," Fr Carty has no doubt that even in the first few months on the Island, detainees will suffer adverse long term effects to their physical, mental and emotional health.
"We know suicide, self-harm and long term damaged to mental health were issues for asylum seekers held on Nauru during the Howard era. Yet under the Gillard Government's policy asylum seekers have even fewer protections and far more uncertainty," he says.
The frustration, anger and despair felt by asylum seekers, particularly among young men who will comprise a large proportion of those held on Nauru, may well erupt into violence, he warns.
New accommodation for the asylum-seekers
While the Government is playing details of this morning's flight from Christmas Island to Nauru close to its chest, it is believed that as many as 90 APF were on board with the first load of asylum seekers and will remain on the Island for several weeks as more asylum seekers arrive.
But so far the Government has given no indication how long the police will remain on Nauru, or whether more AFP will be needed as the numbers of asylum seekers swell and the detention centre on the Island fills to capacity.
Fr Carty who has worked with refugees and asylum seekers for more than 32 years, says while there are many issues to be addressed, the Government's decision to house men in tents is rash.
Tents are totally inadequate as housing on a tropical island, he says and points to the riots on Christmas Island in February 2011 which were triggered when men were forced to live in overcrowded marquees.
Asylum seekers to be housed in tents until Nauru detention centre can be rebuilt
"The army issue tents on Nauru may be quieter as they are not equipped with air conditioning despite the Island being only a couple of hundred kilometres south of the equator," Fr Carty says and describes living in these tents "like living in a permanent sauna."
The priest is also concerned about unaccompanied minors being sent to Nauru.
"Under Australian law a minor is anyone under 18. At 17 some of accompanied minors who are asylum seekers are already physically mature and built like full-backs. But by age they are considered minors and will be housed with other minors some of whom will be as young as 7 or 8. Who is going to maintain a vigil for caring for this wide age range and to ensure they are well looked after?"
Despite Government assurances that children held in detention will be able to attend Nauru's schools, Fr Carty doubts this will be possible. Not only would the numbers overwhelm the Island's small number of schools but there is also the issue of language with teachers on Nauru ill-equipped or trained to educate asylum seeker children most of whom do not speak English.
Nauru has no regular water supply, little infrastructure and could expose detainees to malaria, dengue fever and other tropical diseases
Over the next 12 months he says rather than easing, the numbers of desperate displaced people trying to reach safety in countries like Australia is set to increase as Syrian Christians flee the bloody civil war in their homeland and US and Coalition troops pull out of Afghanistan.
"The Taliban will take its revenge on anyone who aided the US and Coalition and resume its terrible slaughter," he predicts.
For Fr Carty and many others involved with asylum seekers and refugees, the issue is becoming increasingly complex and more and more difficult to solve. Hopes for a regional solution which many, including Fr Carty believe is the only long term answer, were dealt a severe blow this week when five members of the Indonesian military charged with people smuggling, named a member of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's security staff as one of the master minds.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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