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Refugee Action Coalition Sydney has reported five attempted suicides by asylum seekers in Nauru in recent weeks. The latest attempted hanging took place last Saturday (2 February). All of those attempting suicide were Iranian or Iraqi asylum seekers among those transferred from Australia to Nauru on 21 January, 2013 “Just as with the recent suicide Read more
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An Amnesty International Australia researcher says major changes are needed immediately at the Australian run detention camp for asylum seekers on Nauru. Alex Pagliaro was one of two researchers who last week visited the camp where 387 male asylum seekers are crammed into leaky tents in a very hot environment. She says it is a Read more
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Radio Australia reports that the processing of asylum seekers sent to Nauru by the Australian government “may be six months or more away yet”. This is according to a spokesperson for Australia’s Immigration Minister. Major Paul Moulds, of the Salvation Army, is quoted as saying that the uncertainty is having a detrimental effect on the Read more
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Three of the asylum seekers detained in Nauru’s processing centre have attempted self harm in as many days. Self harm is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. An Iranian man attempted self harm on Thursday, while another two Iranians did the same on Saturday, an Australian Immigration Department spokesman Read more
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The Salvation Army, which is running care services for asylum seekers on Nauru Island, says facilities should be improved before women and children are transferred there. Salvation Army spokesman Paul Moulds says women and children should not be sent yet, because asylum seekers are sleeping in tents while the compound is under construction. “We certainly Read more
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The Australian government has backed a plan to break the asylum seeker policy deadlock which would see centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea re-established to process refugee claims. 211 asylum seekers were taken to Christmas Island last Friday on two Navy boats after they called Australian authorities saying their boat had engine problems late Read more
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Papua New Guinea would favourably consider reopening an asylum seekers’ processing centre if asked by Australia according to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. And in Nauru, the office of Dominic Tabuna, the Minister for Commerce, Industry and Environment, issued a statement saying that while Nauru stands ready to assist the Australian government, Nauru had “no say” Read more
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Pressure is growing on Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott to put politics aside and sort out the border protection mess. On Thursday The Australian reported Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has been given the authority to put the Nauru detention centre on the table in talks with the Opposition aimed at ending the stand-off over offshore Read more
