A new report published this week by the Australian Human Rights Commission, Lives On Hold, calls for action over 30,000 asylum seekers in the so-called ‘Legacy Caseload’ – those living in Australia and who arrived by boat before January 2014. The report highlights that 7500 asylum seekers who have been in Australia for more than five years have not yet had their refugee claims assessed. The Commission raised significant concern about the impact of these prolonged delays on the mental health of this group., and the limited support available to meet their health and other needs. The Department of Home Affairs has rejected the Commission’s recommendations.
The Australian Government took four days to inform the family of Abdul Aziz of his death. Mr Aziz, an Afghan asylum seeker, died in the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation facility (MITA) last week. The man's family learned of his death through word of mouth. Authorities have not yet been able to identify a cause of death. Two days after the death of Mr Aziz, an Afghan asylum seeker who is also detained in MITA was taken to hospital after attempting to set himself on fire. The 23-year-old allegedly set a towel alight in his room before another detainee intervened.
A 15-month-old baby has been transferred to hospital from MITA with Influenza A. The baby’s mother, Vietnamese asylum seeker Huyen Tran, complained to staff for several weeks that her child had a fever, which was reportedly ignored.
On a six-day visit to Australia commencing this weekend, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape will be urging the Australian Government to fix a deadline for the ending of offshore processing of asylum seekers on Manus Island.
Greens Senator Nick McKim was denied entry to visit the East Lorengau camp on Manus Island and deported from Papua New Guinea this week. Senator McKim was visiting Manus Island to mark six years since the Rudd Governmentannounced that all asylum seekers who arrived by boat would be sent to PNG.