Nearly 29,000 asylum seekers remain on bridging visas in Australia waiting for a decision on their refugee status. The vast majority have been in the country since 2012 and 2013, when the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat peaked. Some do not have the right to work.
In Nauru, Iranian refugee Sam Nemati, was arrested, charged and convicted for attempted suicide. Prosecutors sought jail time of between one and two months to ‘deter other would-be offenders who resort to self-harm to avoid lawful actions against them or to get what they want’. Mr Nemati was given a 12-month suspended sentence.
In Europe, Macedonian Police fired rubber bullets and used teargas on protesting crowds of asylum seekers on the Greek side of the Macedonia-Greek border, injuring dozens of people. Both the Greek government and UNHCR condemned the action as damaging to Europe’s image. Polish EU minister Konrad Szymanski announced Poland would be unable to take in the 7,000 asylum seekers it had promised to accept in September 2015.