A 12-year-old Iranian-born refugee boy being held on Nauru has continued to hunger strike for almost a fortnight. Advocacy organisations and medical staff have voiced serious concerns about his mental and physical health, including the possibility of resignation syndrome and imminent death. It is not yet known whether he will be transferred to Australia for further treatment.
The Guardian has reported on several other critical child cases on Nauru, including some children needing immediate intensive care who are reportedly being removed from the island this week. Many legal challenges against the Australian Government regarding refugee children’s health have been brought before courts over the past six months, each of which has resulted in the government conceding or in court orders for children to be removed from Nauru.
The Migration (Validation of Port Appointment) Bill 2018 passed the House of Representatives with unanimous Coalition and Labor support. This retrospective legislation ultimately seeks to authorise past government actions in directing boats through Ashmore Reef between 2002-2013 in order to indefinitely detain at least 1600 asylum seekers via offshore detention. The Senate’s standing scrutiny of bills committee expressed concerns around the retrospective nature of the legislation and its attempt to fix previous government errors.
Greens MP Adam Bandt stated that boat arrivals could be stopped by processing of asylum seekers and bringing refugees to Australia more quickly. He claimed that if Australia accepts refugees, including following their processing in third countries, there is less likelihood that they will attempt to reach Australia by boat.
A recent study in Queensland demonstrates that refugees and new immigrants integrate well in Australia, particularly into regional areas. The study surveyed over 200 refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and found that the refugees reported feeling welcome and a generally high sense of belonging and safety. However, the study also demonstrated a high rate of unemployment among the new arrivals, with only 18 per cent in paid employment.