The Appalling Asylum Seeker Conditions

[azureline**]

This is disgraceful and I can only hope the people who are in charge fix this asap.

An asylum seeker who was moved off Nauru to give birth is being locked up for 18 hours a day in a detention centre in Brisbane while her week-old baby remains in hospital with respiratory problems.

The case of Latifa, a 31-year-old woman of the persecuted Rohingya people of Myanmar, has shocked churches and refugee advocates.

She was separated from her baby on Sunday, four days after a caesarean delivery, and has since been allowed to visit him only between 10am and 4pm in Brisbane's Mater Hospital. The boy, named Farus, has respiratory problems and needs round-the-clock medical care.

Latifa is confined to the Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation, 20 minutes away, where her husband and two children, four and seven, are being held.

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Latifa's husband, Niza, is not allowed to visit the child at all, according to people in daily contact with the family.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/asylum-seeker-mother-kept-from-newborn-baby-in...

[*crikey*mate*]

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@izabsmiling wrote:

Crikey, I don't don't know how stateless people prove who they are,where they are from? Do you? How are they granted refugee status if they are considered illegal aliens in their own Country? This family waited 10 years.I've read about the conditions in Malaysia particularly for their people and I can fully understand why they would have risked death again and left both Countries.I would too rather than stay where there was little or no chance for myself and my family.No one seems to want to own these people from the look of it.

Are some Asylum seekers in Malaysia being abused by 'uniforms'? Are some now being told that they can only stay for 6months?

This article mentions a women pregnant with twins..though refers to her as Iranian?.The hospital facilities are mentioned too.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-12/advocates-want-pregnant-asylum-seeker-relocated-from-nauru/501...

We're worried about the survival of those babies post-delivery in these inhumane conditions: communal tents, 50-degree heat and no running water.

Asylum seeker advocate and former midwife Pamela Curr

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ahhh. so you read about it - in the newspaper....

it is all good and well to understand why someone would do something.

But choosing a better lifestyle is not a reason to seek assylum.

remind me again of the parameters for seeking assylum or refugee status?

I know for a fact that this family had to pass 3 safe refugee camps which do not limit length of stay, at least whilst they have kids in school.  and IMO after seeing the pics of Nauru, have better conditions.

I have no problem offering asylum to anyone who needs it, and i do think they deserve better than Nauru, though I have no issues with off shore processing. but I do object to situations where our aide is abused and condemned for not being enough when it is relation to "i was restricted from access to my baby for 3 days" whilst he was being given the best medical care available, and after I had received the same and a lot of trouble was already made to acommodate, not only myself, but the rest of my family, to the extent that it was...

This is ONE family, who did not get an ideal situation, but who got a whole heap more than most. We have met our obligations and done even more, yet it seems that wasn't enough.

There are thousands of displaced people throughout the world, and hundreds who have made their way to Australia, and whilst I am positive that we all wish we could do and give these people everything, the facts are, our resources are just not limitless. So we have to choose who we can help and to waht extent we can help them, in order to be able to help as many people as possible, even if it is only a little bit.

This situation is being used as a failure of the Australian Government, both now and in the past.... and I object to that, because our country does a lot and undoubtedly does the best they can and the best they know how to do, and so to then criticize them for not doing enough, when at least they have tried to do something????

If you feel so strongly, and this isn't all just lip service, perhaps you can do something to improve things for these folk, rather than condemn those who are already trying to help them, or condemn those who are already committed to helping others.

Neither Australia Giovernment, individual organizations or individual people can help everybody in the whole world to the extent that we would really like to. It's just not possible. You have to do the best you can for the most amount of people that you can.

but maybe now you can do something if this is the cause about which you feel strongest.

it's as easy as giving an hour or two a fortnight to an appropriate charity, making a batch of lamingtons for their next fundraiser or sponsoring a child, or you can get far more involved as your personal commitments allow.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@am*3 wrote:

August 2013:

Amnesty International has described the conditions as "inhumane". The government says they're temporary but Nauru's Foreign Minister, Kieren Keke, says permanent structures can't be erected until a dispute among landowners is settled. How long that will take is not clear.

This may refer to the 'third camp' they intend/ed to build.

I am getting confused - the riot reports say accommodation blocks, kitchen block and others were burnt down.. so they did have buildings and they are being replaced?

They have both tents and buildings?..not enough accom in buildings so they use tents as well?

An Immigration Department spokeswoman says detainees burned buildings to the ground, including the accommodation blocks, which can house 600 people.

The health centre and the dining room were also destroyed.

The government in Nauru says 80 per cent of the island detention centre's buildings were destroyed in the riot.

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even if they were there, you have to wonder how many times at $60 million dollars we can rebuild..

I mean the money has to come from somewhere, and that could well be at the expense of other provisions such as fresh water or transportation and access to a hospital 24/7 or a shopping centre field trip.

[polksaladallie]

If you feel so strongly, and this isn't all just lip service, perhaps you can do something to improve things for these folk

I tried to do so when I last voted.

[izabsmiling]

(insert id):"ahhh. so you read about it - in the newspaper"

it is all good and well to understand why someone would do something.

But choosing a better lifestyle is not a reason to seek assylum.

remind me again of the parameters for seeking assylum or refugee status?"

If you able to state for a fact what exactly these people's lifestyle has been (everywhere they have been).Please do so

[***super_nova***]

Refugee camps are not permanent solutions, and they do not qualify as destination for refugees, it suppose to be temporaly place while they are being processed.  The rule  that refugees lose their status once  they reach "safe" country only means a country that is a signatory to the refugee convention.  Malaysia or Indonesia, or any other country between here and the countries "boat" people are coming from are not considered "safe countries". 
What you are  saying that these people should give up their basic human rights and stay in the camp, where there is nothing; they cannot work, the kids get none or very rudimentary education, and therefore there is no future for them.

Yes, there are millions of displaced people around the world, and it will get worse, and some will end up in Australia.  And it is the duty of our government to make sure they are treated in a decent way.

[azureline**]

Money is allocated to certain areas, it has no bearing on how much is spent by one area, they don't give the change to another one who might run short, they work withing their own budget.

How rude to assume one person does more humanitarian work than someone you don't know, have no idea of their personal status, financial situation or volunteer work.

Matthew 6:1-4

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.

Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.

And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@am*3 wrote:

Some asylum seekers, on arrival, don't have any papers that show their identity or proof  as to what country they come from ( some flee in the night and don't have time to grab papers). Those ones it can take a long time to find out, if the person is who they are claiming to be and what country the came from.

Thye could claim to be a farmer when infact they were a terrorist.

For others with correct papers, I don't know either why it can take years to process them. Do the Aust authorities have to wait to get  personal information about the aslyum seekers, back from the countries these people fled from?

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many are also confiscated and destroyed by their own government - at least this happens with the Karen...

often, even when they have papers, checks need to be made as to known associates etc - people with whom they have or have had connections with and if any of those people are "of interest". Even though we 'think" we know from where a person has come, it is the age of terrorism and vulnerable and volatile and desperate people will do some pretty horrible things..

also, in the case of the Karen (from Burma) their government isn't too forthcoming with helpful information. a bit possibly because they have no idea as they have confiscated and destroyed all the paper trails, but hey - if they shoot at people who have permission to leave, and drop bombs and stage air attacks on Thai centres, being helpful towards those who they displaces isn't high on the priority list.

[polksaladallie]

Thankyou Azure for your thoughtful post. 

[cherry*135]

There are some Karen students in Wollongong,my daughter volunteers to help refugee children with their homework (held at the Public Library, I think). She had never heard of the Karen people before and was interested to learn more about them.

Australia has a huge influx in people arriving by boat in the last 2 or 3 years.. that would make the process a bit slower too, a lot more people in the system to be assessed.

[cherry*135]

What you are  saying that these people should give up their basic human rights and stay in the camp, where there is nothing; they cannot work, the kids get none or very rudimentary education, and therefore there is no future for them

This is what the current Govt policy is - if boat people set off in a boat for Aust. they will be sent to Nauru or Manus Island. Their choice whether to set sail for Aust or not, knowing that is where they will end up.

Whether that is fair or not is debatable but it is the current situation.

It would best if the aslyum seekers didn't burn down their new accom & other buildings and end up living in tents.