Hatam Yekta, the 36-year-old Iranian refugee whose photograph of his emaciated body became the symbol of the cruelty of Australia’s offshore detention policies, has been returned to Iran by the PNG government.
After the shocking revelations of his condition, PNG immigration and the Paradise hospital worked vigorously to get Hatam ‘well enough’ to put him on a flight to Turkey on 13 August to return him to Iran.
Hatam, a 36-year-old refugee, remains desperately ill. His return to Iran however does not answer the question of why Hatam was not brought to Australia to receive the medical attention years ago.
Hatam had been approved for medevac to Australia as long ago as 2019 but consecutive Liberal and Labor governments refused to transfer Hatam despite repeated appeals. There is no doubt that Labor’s offshore detention policy and their complete indifference to the suffering imposed has cut Hatam’s life short.
But Hatam’s photograph will continue to be the public face of Labor’s offshore policy. Twenty-three refugee and asylum seekers sent to Manus Island in 2013 remain in PNG. Like Hatam, six of them are seriously unwell and need urgent transfer to Australia for medical attention.
“Like Hatam, they are slowly dying,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, “Labor must end the horror story and bring them to Australia.
“Rather than stand up to One Nation’s racist attacks on migration, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is rumoured to be considering changes that will restrict family reunion and work rights for people seeking asylum, and cuts to the refugee humanitarian program.
“Hundreds of millions of dollars that could be used for cost-of-living relief, and to support refugees are being wasted to hold asylum seekers on Nauru.”
Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of offshore detention and the Howard government’s refusal to let the Tampa to land Afghan refugees in Australia. The “Australian solution”, of offshore detention, imposed first by the Liberals, and now by Labor, is now internationally notorious for human rights abuses and undermining international protocols for protecting refugees.
“With every passing day Labor delays ending offshore detention, it fuels One Nation’s racism, while more Hatam’s are being created in PNG and Nauru,” said Rintoul, “It’s time to bring all the refugees from PNG and Nauru to safety in Australia.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
