Weekly media wrap - 7 March 2016

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill called Manus Island detention centre a ‘problem’ that has done damage to his country’s international reputation. According to Mr O’Neill, the centre should eventually be shut down. Mr O’Neill added that the PNG government does not have the resources to resettle the refugees already on Manus Island, leaving their future uncertain.

In Australia, immigration minister Peter Dutton refused to release a 70 year-old Iranian woman from immigration detention who has been held for three years. According to doctors, she is experiencing both physical and psychological problems. Under the Migration Act, Mr Dutton has discretionary powers to grant or deny Bridging Visas and his decision is not subject to judicial review.

The Greens introduced a bill to the Senate that would require the government to house families with children in the community rather than an immigration detention facility. The bill seeks to amend the Migration Act 1958 and would apply retrospectively.

The United Nations refugee agency warned of an imminent humanitarian crisis as refugees and migrants continue to gather on the Greek-Macedonian border. Balkan countries and Austria have capped daily refugee intakes, as crowded conditions in first ports of call, such as Greece, have led to shortages of food, water and sanitation. 

Weekly media wrap - 29 February 2016

The mother of asylum seeker baby Asha was accused of intentionally burning her baby in order to facilitate their transfer to Australia for medical treatment. Queensland Police confirmed that they had completed an investigation into the matter and dismissed the accusations. Meanwhile, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton, said that while the family had been released into community detention for now, they would eventually be returned to Nauru.

In a first for asylum seekers detained on Nauru or Manus Island, two refugees who spent three years living on Nauru, including two years in detention, have been relocated to Canada to be reunited with their family.

Following a meeting last week between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his New Zealand counterpart, John Key, Peter Dutton this week rejected an offer from New Zealand to resettle 150 refugees now on Nauru, on the basis that it would provide an incentive to asylum seekers to travel to Australia by boat. Mr Dutton also confirmed that Australian border protection authorities recently turned an asylum seeker boat back to Sri Lanka.

Amnesty International released its annual report. Highlighting the ‘harsh conditions’ faced by millions of asylum seekers across the Asia-Pacific region, the report stated that Australia’s asylum seeker policies violated international law by ‘forcibly returning people to countries where they would face a real risk of serious violations’.

The UNHCR issued a statement saying that on average two children have drowned every day trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea since September 2015. The news comes as countries across Europe adopt more restrictive policies, including border closures.

Weekly media wrap - 23 February 2016

Asha, a 12 month-old asylum seeker, was released into community detention after doctors at Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital refused to discharge her until a ‘suitable home environment’ was identified’. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said that once Asha and her family’s claims are finalised, they will be sent back to Nauru, their home country, or a third country.

At an Australian Medical Association forum in Sydney doctors proposed to boycott working in Australia’s immigration detention system and to defy legal restrictions on speaking about conditions.

Malcolm Turnbull met with New Zealand prime minister John Key but did not commit to reviving a deal negotiated by former prime minister Julia Gillard for New Zealand to accept 150 asylum seekers annually from Australian detention.

Peter Dutton defended Australia’s rate of resettlement  of Syrian refugees, emphasising that national security is the ‘first and foremost’ priority and that faster processing would increase risk to the public. Twenty-six Syrians have been processed in Australia, five months after the government announced a special intake of 12,000. Canada has resettled over 20,000 refugees in the same period.

Weekly media wrap - 15 February 2016

This week saw escalating ‘Let Them Stay’ protests, following the High Court’s decision allowing Australia to detain asylum seekers offshore. Six state and territory leaders offered to resettle the 267 asylum seekers affected by the decision, however, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has yet to respond to the political and community pressure. 

Doctors at a Brisbane hospital declined to discharge a baby in an effort to prevent her return to Nauru. One-year-old ‘Asha’ was treated for accidental burns injuries at Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, where a spokesperson said she would be released only once ‘a suitable home environment is identified’. The case has attracted the backing of hundreds of protesters, who have camped outside the hospital in support of the doctors’ actions. 

The ABC apologised for confusing two cases of alleged child abuse on Nauru. ABC News Director Gaven Morris acknowledged the error in reporting the testimony of a paediatrician that a five-year-old was raped on the island and was being sent back to face his attacker. The paediatrician’s statement in fact referred to an older child, whom the paediatrician, Karen Zwi, maintains was raped. The five-year-old at the centre of the claims was allegedly sexually assaulted.

The immigration department confirmed paying Nauru $29m in visa fees to keep asylum seekers in detention. The cost of a visa for a single asylum seeker in Nauru has risen to $1,000 per month since the centre was reopened in 2012, in addition to the fees Australia pays to contractors running the facility.

The refugee crisis continues to escalate in Europe, with the Austrian government confirming it will reduce the number of asylum applications received in 2016, while Turkey has for the first time shut entry to Syrian refugees, claiming the country has reached its limit. The news comes as NATO entered the crisis for the first time, promising to deploy ships in the Aegean Sea to deter people smugglers. The move was criticised by some international aid groups.     

Weekly media wrap - 8 February 2016

In a majority decision, the High Court rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of Australia’s offshore processing system brought against by a Bangladeshi refugee. The decision upholds the government’s policy of returning 267 refugees to Nauru. Reporting pointed to changes to the Migration Act in June 2015 which undermined the challenge, and more recently, the Nauruan government’s decision to create an open centre.

In response to the court decision, a series of protests under the banner ‘Let Them Stay’ were held. Churches offered sanctuary to those who may be transferred offshore. Sanctuary is a common law principle yet to be tested under the Australian judicial system, which would provide protection against civil authorities. 

A medical team led by the Australian Human Rights Commission found that 95 per cent of children detained at Nauru are at risk of developing post traumatic stress disorder and recommended that children not be sent back to Nauru.

A government document prepared by the National Security Committee planning reforms of Australia’s immigration policy was leaked. The document showed plans to ‘create stronger controls over access to permanent residency and citizenship’.

The UNCHR estimated that 62,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean in January 2016, sixteen times more than the 5,500 recorded in January 2015. Meanwhile, the EU called on Turkey to re-open its borders to Syrians fleeing fighting in Aleppo. It is estimated that 35,000 asylum seekers are currently trapped at the border.

Weekly media wrap - 1 February 2016

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) 2016 World Report was released this week. HRW reported that Australia’s failure to meet international standards for protecting asylum seekers is taking a ‘heavy human toll’ and damaging this country’s international reputation. The report also highlighted the secrecy around Australia’s immigration detention program.

Professor David Isaacs, a leading paediatrician, challenged Australia’s prime minister to prosecute him for speaking out under the Border Force Act about conditions in offshore detention centres. Professor Isaacs visited Nauru in December 2014.

The International Organization for Migration reported that more than 52,000 refugees and migrants crossed the eastern Mediterranean to reach Europe in January, more than 35 times the number of people who attempted the crossing in the same period in 2015.

The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei closed his exhibition in Copenhagen in protest to new Danish laws allowing authorities to seize assets and valuables from asylum seekers over a certain value and delays in family reunification. Meanwhile, Sweden has indicated an intention to expel up to 80,000 rejected asylum seekers who arrived in 2015.

Weekly media wrap - 27 January 2016

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said 72 children in mandatory detention on the mainland would be transferred to offshore detention.  A group of 930 academics wrote an open letter to the Australian government urging the immediate release of children from detention.

An investigation by Fairfax media revealed that the Maribyrnong Detention Centre in Melbourne has the highest rate of detainee restraint and use of force by staff. The Villawood detention centre recorded the second highest rate of use of force.

In Papua New Guinea, Manus Island residents met to discuss the lack of benefit arising from the island’s detention centre. A spokesperson stated that too little of the $420 million of Australian Government aid given to PNG for hosting the centre has flowed to the Manus Island community.

The Danish parliament passed laws that delay family reunification for three years for people fleeing indiscriminate violence, and allow police to seize assets of asylum seekers over a certain value. 

Weekly media wrap - 18 January 2016

The crew of an asylum seeker boat who were allegedly paid by an Australian official to return to Indonesia were jailed on people smuggling charges.  The six crew members were each sentenced to over five years in prison and ordered to pay fines between $50,000 and $70,000.  The sentencing followed an Indonesian police investigation which found that the Australian Navy had paid the crew $US32,000 to return the asylum seekers to Indonesia.  An Australian Senate inquiry, due to report in March, will assess the legality of payments made to the crew members.

An independent report found that Save the Children workers sacked on Nauru in 2014 are entitled to compensation from the Australian government.  The dismissals were found to be politically motivated and based on ‘no evidence or reliable information’.  Save the Children CEO Paul Ronalds welcomed the report and urged the Australian government to end the practice of mandatory detention of children.

Twenty-eight refugees living in Nauru wrote to New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, requesting permanent resettlement.  Despite a deal negotiated between Australia and New Zealand in 2013, in which New Zealand agreed to accept 150 refugees per year from Australia’s offshore detention facilities, no resettlements have been granted.  New Zealand’s immigration minister, Michael Woodhouse, responded to the letter, stating that ‘it is for Australia to take up the offer to utilise the… 150 places’.  Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull argued that resettlement in New Zealand could ‘result in creating incentives for people smugglers to get back into business’. 

In Papua New Guinea, Benham Satah, the key witness in Reza Barati’s murder trial, requested to be transferred to a different compound at the Manus Island detention centre, where he has been detained for over two years.  Satah, who was offered protection before giving evidence against two local men accused of killing Barati, said he is being targeted by guards and fears for his life at the centre.  A public petition requesting that Satah “be brought immediately to Australia and settled in the community” drew more than 16,000 signatures.

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) called for greater government investment in organisations supporting asylum seekers.  RCOA toured Australia gathering information about the challenges facing these support centres, and will make recommendations to the Australian Government in February.

Weekly media wrap - 11 January 2016

Nauru police launched an investigation into claims that a six year-old refugee was sexually assaulted. The father of the alleged victim, an Iranian refugee, said that the alleged perpetrator remains on Nauru and has not been taken into custody.

Documents obtained under freedom of information laws revealed that the 23 year-old asylum seeker known as Abyan, who was transferred from Nauru to Australia for an abortion, had not ruled out terminating her pregnancy before being sent back to Nauru, still pregnant. Abyan was flown back to Australia several weeks after her return to Nauru and remains in detention in Brisbane where she is receiving medical treatment.

In Papua New Guinea, the managers of the Manus Island detention centre were accused of flying an employee who allegedly robbed a local bar out of PNG to avoid the country's justice system.

In Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she wants to stem the flow of refugees into the European Union, while preserving freedom of movement. Mrs Merkel's statement comes as Sweden moved to drastically reduce its refugee intakes. Sweden has introduced a requirement that all arrivals from Denmark show photo ID. Meanwhile, Denmark has imposed ID checks on its southern border with Germany.

Turkish authorities found the bodies of 34 migrants on the Aegean coast after the migrants tried to cross to the Greek island of Lesbos.

Weekly media wrap - 3 January 2016

Cabinet papers from the early ‘90s were released by the National Archives. A cabinet paper written by former Labor Immigration Minister Gerry Hand foreshadowed many contemporary issues in Australian asylum and immigration policy. Hand argued that successful claims for protection by asylum seekers should not result in the automatic grant of permanent residence (a policy since implemented) and for the removal of the right to judicial review of visa decisions.

Refugee bodies are preparing for the arrival of 12,000 Syrian refugees to begin in early 2016. Refugee Council of Australia communications director Tim O’Conner said that the RCOA had received many calls from people every day saying ‘we want to help, we’ve got a spare room’.

A recent survey by the Scanlon Foundation showed that 86% of Australians remain supportive of multiculturalism, the highest level recorded since the survey was introduced in 2007.

A man sentenced to death in Malaysia for the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu remains in immigration detention in Australia. Sirul Azhar applied for a protection visa in early 2015 and was advised last week that the assessment is ongoing.

Over one million refugees and migrants have fled to Europe by sea in 2015 according to figures released by the UNHCR. Meanwhile, Sweden is moving to tighten its borders in 2016 as the government cuts off asylum seekers' automatic entitlement to permanent residency. Asylum seekers who arrive will only be able to remain in Sweden temporarily – for one to three years.

Weekly media wrap - 28 December 2015

Around 8,000 people signed a petition to the Australian Government, accompanied by a letter to Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, asking it to ratify the United Nations’ Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture. Ratification would require Australia to accept UN inspections of immigration detention centres.

Major General Andrew Bottrell, Commander of Operation Sovereign Borders, indicated that people smugglers are using tactics to convince people that the Australian government's policies have changed, and using the Christmas period as a way to encourage people to board boats to Australia.

The Inside Story reports that no places have been taken as part of the agreement made between Australia and New Zealand to resettle between 150 and 175 refugees from Australia’s offshore processing system annually from 2014. A senior official has confirmed that the offer remains on the table, but there is a view that this approach would undermine a key tenet of Australia’s current policy – that is, not providing opportunity for asylum seekers who arrive illegally to settle in Australia.

Some refugees who arrived to Australia prior to 2012 have expressed concern about their refugee status in Australia after receiving letters from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, requiring them to have their refugee status reassessed to obtain a Temporary Protection Visa. This group is part of the backlog of 30,000 people currently on the Department’s books.

A boat carrying asylum seekers capsized off the coast of Turkey, where eighteen people drowned. At least 24 people have died in similar circumstances this week.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organisation for Migration jointly reported that more than one million asylum seekers and migrants reached Europe in 2015, which includes over 970,000 who crossed the Mediterranean. This amounts to four times the number of arrivals in 2014. Half of those who arrived in Europe in 2015 were Syrians.

Weekly media wrap - 21 December 2015

Whistleblower Major General Paween Pongsirin has been urged to return to Thailand to pursue allegations of human trafficking against government officials. Pongsirin sought asylum in Australia after he received threats for uncovering alleged government links to the trafficking of Rohingya refugees.

Guardian Australia obtained 700 pages of Fazel Chegeni’s immigration department file, refugee who died in November on Christmas Island. Mr Chegani was detained for more than three years of the four he spent in Australia. Elsewhere in the detention network, 16 asylum seekers are on hunger strike in Darwin.

Angela Merkel signaled Germany will reduce its future refugee intake. Mrs Merkel has been subject to domestic political pressure after Germany registered approximately one million asylum seekers in 2015.

European leaders met to discuss a proposal to create a EU border and coastguard to address the ongoing flow of refugees and asylum seekers into the region. The meeting also provided a setting to discuss refugee quotas amongst the region.

Weekly media wrap - 14 December 2015

Senate hearings showed that Australia’s offshore detention program cost the government an estimated $1.2 billion in the last financial year.  Charter flights between Nauru, Manus Island and Australia accounted for $20,265,000 of the total cost.  The return to Nauru of pregnant 23 year-old Somali refugee, Abyan (pseudonym), cost $115,000.

A senior Thai police officer, Major General Paween Pongsirin, is seeking political asylum in Australia.  Pongsirin, who had been leading an investigation into the trafficking of Rohingya asylum seekers, fears for his life following arrest warrants being issued to prominent politicians, police officers and military figures.  Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson expressed concerns for Pongsirin’s safety.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released its Statistical Yearbook for 2014. A record high of nearly 1.7 million applications for asylum were submitted to governments and UNHCR offices in 157 countries in 2014.

Read the Kaldor Centre's weekly news roundup.

Weekly media wrap - 7 December 2015

A program to take children in immigration detention on outings run by a group of Catholic nuns was deemed not appropriate by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. In an interview on ABC Radio, Sister Brigid Arthur said that while the Department had cancelled the program due to concerns about safety and supervision, 'the outings were amazingly free from incident. The people were so please to be out and about'.

In late November, the Senate voted to support an amendment to the Migration and Maritime Powers Amendment Bill 2015 (Cth), which mandated the release of all remaining children in onshore Australian immigration detention. However, the House of Representatives, controlled by the Coalition, chose not to include the bill on its business list for the final parliamentary sitting week of the year, meaning that the legislation will not be considered by the House until next year.

The 21st Conference of the Parties climate negotiations underway in Paris heard from a panel of European academics that climate related migration is increasing as people move for safety and because they have lost their livelihood. After meeting with representatives from Pacific Island nations at the negotiations, President Obama said that climate change could lead to 'tens of millions of climate refugees from the Asia Pacific region'. 

Read the Kaldor Centre's weekly news roundup.

Weekly media wrap - 1 December 2015

The government refused to discuss the whereabouts of an asylum seeker boat which came within 200 metres of Christmas Island last week. The group of 16 asylum seekers were found stranded at sea near the town of Tabolong, on the western tip of West Timor, Indonesia. It is not clear whether the passengers on the boat made asylum claims, or whether any claims were assessed on board.

Also in Indonesia, two asylum seekers told an Indonesian court they witnessed Australian authorities paying the crew of their boat a cash payment in June 2015, before escorting them back to Indonesian waters.

An Iranian asylum seeker on Nauru protested to draw attention to the condition of the 95 children in detention on the island. See more statistics at Asylum Insight’s statistics page. Earlier in the week, the Australian Senate passed a bill calling for all children to be released from detention.

Germany will begin to deport asylum seekers from the Western Balkans whose applications for asylum have been unsuccessful. Balkan countries have imposed stricter border controls, allowing only Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan asylum seekers to pass through from Greece. The controls have been met with violent protests from asylum seekers on the Greek side of the border. The UN has warned of humanitarian problems as restrictions chiefly involve people being profiled on the basis of their alleged nationalities

Read the Kaldor Centre weekly news roundup.

Weekly media wrap - 23 November 2015

A boat carrying asylum seekers was intercepted 200 metres from Christmas Island. Unconfirmed reports indicate the boat was towed by an Australian navy patrol boat out to sea. This boat was the first to reach Australian waters since June 2014. It is not yet known where the boat departed from.

In Indonesia, The Jakata Post reported that Coordinating Minister for political, legal and security affairs, Luhut Panjaitan, had suggested offering an island as a temporary refugee camp. However Mr Panjaitan has denied offering Australia an island to temporarily house refugees and asylum seekers.

In Europe, investigations into the terror attacks in Paris continue, with reports that a passport issued to a Syrian asylum seeker was found at the scene of one of the attack sites. In response to the events in Paris, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has made a statement “cautioning against the scapegoating of refugees”, reiterating the importance of preserving the integrity of the asylum system and acknowledging that the overwhelming majority of people coming to Europe are fleeing persecution.

In the wake of the recent terror attacks in Paris, concern was raised about Australia’s acceptance of refugees, and in particular this new intake of 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq. Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton rejected the call from a New South Wales State Government MP to stop accepting refugees from the Middle East and to close Australia’s borders, and indicated a continuation of existing border protection policies. A Syrian family of five arrived in Perth. This family is part of the first group of 200 selected Syrians to be the first of the 12,000 refugees to be resettled in Australia.

Weekly media wrap – 16 November 2015

Detainees rioted for three days at the Christmas Island Detention Centre after the body of refugee Fazel Chegeni was discovered on the island. Mr Chegeni’s body was found at the base of a cliff two days after he escaped from the centre. Detainees took control of the facility. The episode ended after the Australian Government sent Federal Police to forcibly regain control of the centre.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton suggested that foreign nationals whose visas had been cancelled led the riot. This allegedly included several New Zealand citizens. The minister stated that the coroner would investigate the cause of Mr Chegeni’s death. An investigation into the riot is also underway. The New Zealand Minister of Internal Affairs responded by comparing Australia’s offshore detention facilities to Guantanamo Bay.

At a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council more than 100 countries criticised Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers. Australia was participating in a Universal Periodic Review of its human rights record.

On a visit to Germany, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull distanced himself from Tony Abbott’s recent speech urging Europe to adopt Australia’s asylum seeker policy.

Italian diplomat Filippo Grandi was nominated as the next High Commissioner for Refugees to replace outgoing Antonio Guterres. Mr Grandi is a former head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA.

Read the Kaldor Centre's weekly news roundup.

Weekly media wrap - 10 November 2015

Refugee Fazel Chegeni was found dead two days after escaping the immigration detention centre on Christmas Island. Mr Chegeni, who was granted refugee status in 2013, reportedly attempted suicide several times in the weeks leading up to his escape. The cause of Mr Chegeni’s death, whose body was found at the bottom of cliffs on Christmas Island, has not been determined.  Greens MP Adam Bandt called for “a full and independent inquiry” into the incident.  Peter Dutton said he believed there were “no suspicious circumstances in relation to the death”.

Following reports of the death, unrest broke out at the Christmas Island detention centre.  Guards were withdrawn, citing safety reasons after detainees lit fires and knocked down walls. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton described tension between detainees and guards as a “stand off”..

The Australian government is reportedly considering Kyrgyzstan as a resettlement option for up to 1,500 refugees currently detained in offshore detention.  The plan to send refugees to the Central Asian republic, a country criticised for its human rights abuses, received widespread condemnation, with Greens leader Richard Di Natale describing the policy as “ridiculous”.

Following a visit to the world’s second largest refugee camp, Zaatari, Peter Dutton announced $44 million to supply refugees in the Middle East with survival items, including food and water.  Dutton’s visit to the camp reinforced his belief in the government’s boat turn-back policy, arguing that “a tough border policy in Australia means that we can offer a helping hand and a new life to those Syrians”. 

Mr Dutton stated that, in addition to the intake of 12,000 Syrian refugees announced in September, further humanitarian visas may be offered if Australia can “first demonstrate that [it] can bring the 12,000 across”.  Greens MP Adam Bandt welcomed the move but urged the government to consider resettling Syrians and Iraqis currently detained in offshore detention facilities.

Internationally, the first asylum seekers were relocated from Greece to Luxembourg in an EU program that aims to resettled at least 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to participating EU countries. 

Read the Kaldor Centre's weekly news roundup.

Weekly media wrap - 2 November 2015

Pregnant 23 year-old Somali refugee, Abyan (pseudonym), will return to Australia for expert treatment, although the dates for her travel are unconfirmed. UNHCR spokesman Rupert Colville said that Abyan had refused to give information to the Nauru police because she is afraid of reprisals and that Australian and Nauru must enable Abyan to obtain mental and physical care and to terminate her pregnancy if she desires.

The Nauruan Government responded to the Australian media's coverage of Abyan's case, labelling questions put to the Government "ridiculous".  Nauruan Justice Minister David Adeang said in a statement that "Nauru has no obligation to answer the Australian media" and that the "media approaches us with great arrogance and an air of racial superiority, which is highly offensive to us".

Amnesty International released a report, entitled By Hook or by Crook, into claims that Australian officials paid people smugglers to return a boat of asylum seekers to Indonesia in May. The report includes photos, videos and interviews with 65 asylum seekers, the boat crew and Indonesian police.

A spokesperson for Amnesty International said that "from the evidence we gathered, the asylum seekers were arbitrarily and unlawfully detained. That is a human rights violation”. Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton, criticised the report, describing the investigation into boat turnbacks as an "ideological attack". Minister Dutton vowed that the government was "not going to take a backwards step" nor "water down [its] policies".

Meanwhile, Australian doctors and other medical professionals gathered in cities across the country to call on the government to remove all children and their families from immigration detention.

Internationally, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott delivered the Margaret Thatcher Lecture in London, using the opportunity to call for Europe to adopt the Coalition Government's asylum seeker policies to address the current migrant crisis. Mr Abbott told an audience of British conservatives that Europe's compassion for refugees was leading it into "catastrophic error".

Read the Kaldor Centre's weekly news roundup.

Weekly media wrap - 26 October 2015

The return to Nauru of pregnant 23 year-old Somali refugee, Abyan (pseudonym), received international media attention.  Abyan, who was allegedly raped on Nauru, released a statement through her lawyers declaring that while in Australia she did not say no to an abortion, nor did she receive counselling or see a doctor.  Immigration Minister Peter Dutton maintained the government position that Abyan had declined treatment.

In response to the lack of transparency surrounding Abyan’s case, Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs called for independent monitoring of Australia’s offshore detention facilities.  Peter Dutton rejected the call, stating that current support was sufficient. 

In a challenge to the Labor party’s support of offshore processing, Labor MP Melissa Parke moved a motion to Caucus. Ms Parke is calling on the party to demand improved independent oversight or close the centres on Manus Island and Nauru.

In Victoria, Afghan asylum seeker Khodayar Amini, 30, died due to self-immolation. Mr Amini came to Australia by boat in September 2012 and was living in the community on a bridging visa. He reportedly feared being returned to detention.

On Nauru, police officers conducted a second raid on Save the Children staff at the detention centre.  Operating under a search warrant, police seized laptops and computers, in an alleged effort to locate whistle-blowers.

On Manus Island, asylum seeker Mohammed Albederee, who has been on a hunger strike for over six months, filmed a plea for help from the detention facility.

Diplomatic tension rose between Australia and New Zealand following the detention of 40 New Zealanders on Christmas Island.  The detainees, who have previously served prison sentences of 12 months or more, threatened to riot in response to their treatment.

Internationally, Google launched ‘Crisis Info Hub’, a site aimed to support asylum seekers in their search for transport and accommodation worldwide.

Read the Kaldor Centre’s weekly news roundup.