The Refugee Action Coalition is calling on the in-coming Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor to immediately halt all transfers of asylum seekers to Manus Island.
“The transfer process is arbitrary and discriminatory. We are calling on Brendan O’Connor to release the criteria used to select asylum seekers to be transferred to Manus Island and Nauru,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“No-one knows why any one is chosen. One of the stated grounds for possible exemption from being sent to Manus Island or Nauru is if there is close family living in Australia. Yet, asylum seekers being sent to Manus Island despite having brothers and sisters who are permanent Australian residents who could support and accommodate them. The selection process is discriminatory and vindictive.
“There are also medical cases which should never have been sent to Manus Island. Some have had to be transferred to Australia for treatment. There are three pregnant women among the Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Meanwhile the asylum seekers are waiting to hear if one ten year-old has contracted malaria on the island. There have been protests on the island at the mistreatment and lack of medical attention for an Iranian man suffering from diabetes,” said Rintoul.
On Saturday 2 February another 19 single men were sent to Manus Island to live in tents, although facilities are already stretched. The family dining room is too small for 100 people. The single men stand in line for hours to get their food.
On Saturday, all the bottled water, the only drinking water available in the detention camp, was collected because the water from an Australian company whose products are contaminated with sand.
Out-going Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, tried to deflect criticism from the UNHCR by claiming that the “facilities and amenities” in the detention camp “…are in line with the living standards for local PNG residents on Manus Island.”
“But this only reveals the shocking state of conditions on Manus Island as a whole and is no excuse for inflicting such atrocious conditions on those who came to Australia for help,” said Ian Rintoul.
“There would be a complete outrage if asylum seekers were being released from detention to be housed in such shocking conditions in Australia. It would be unconscionable, but it is meant to be acceptable because they are dumped in PNG or Nauru?
“How many more adverse reports must the government get before Manus Island and Nauru should be closed?”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul, 0417 275 713