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...

[*elizabeths-mum*]

That is fascinating, meep, about having to pay for public education. Another thing I had no idea of and another reason to be thankful to have been born an Australian.

[acacia_pycnantha]

#318 . . . Meep said:-

Yes, that is the message.   The ABC reported in August that some asylum seekers were demanding refunds from people smugglers.

The ABC has learnt some asylum seekers have asked for their money back from people smuggling agents, and have succeeded in getting a refund.

Asylum seekers tell the ABC it is mainly Iranians who are asking for refunds and are reportedly preparing to return back to their country, not willing to take the risk of ending up in PNG.

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This is the first time I have heard of asylum seekers seeking a refund . . . but it's not the first time i have heard of asylum seekers voluntarily returning home rather than accept re-settlement in PNG or otherwise awaiting processing in detention camps.

It makes me wonder about the conditions "back home" and if they were really so dreadful (for some of them, at least) , if they could even countenance returning to conditions which were  apparently so dangerous and persecutory that they fled, fo far overseas to escape them.

What's to flee from in Iran? Unless they are scared of a possible US military strike or something.

[izabsmiling]

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum is exposing the world to the suffering of the Burmese  Rohingyas .

Stateless and considered illegals in their own Country when they get to Malaysia they have no home Country they can officially call their own.I hadn't know of the Rohingya people before this thread

I've read enough about these people to see them as appropriate for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum....what is the world doing for them?

[polksaladallie]

It has been my experience and that of many others that those who suffer adverse and sometimes horrific experiences sometime in their lives develop bucketfuls of compassion for others who they see as suffering in any capacity.  Indeed, many go on to work in caring/counselling professions so that they can alleviate some of that suffering.

It is unusual IMO that those experiences make someone hold on to bitterness and project it onto others.  However, that in itself brings compassion from me and others, I'm sure.  

[azureline**]

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@am*3 wrote:

I can see trouble in years ahead for Nauru and Manus Island if people that don't want to live there are forced to live there. Will they assimilate with the people already there? Will there be work for them?

I guess the option is not to travel on a boat to Australia and then you won't end up living there.

It took the assistance of an MP to get her a medicare card as for some very obscure reason, she was not considered an Australian resident., despite having an Australian passport.

That is odd, especially as I presume both her parents are Australian born?

The medicare person was mean to me when I first moved here I asked at one of their branches to apply for medicare cards and she said you may not be entitled etc. I had already checked that I/my family was entitled.

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My daughter is Australian born, her husband was born in NZ but is an Australian Citizen, been here since he was 6yo. Has an Australian passport. I can't recall the details or the reasons given by Medicare at the time but it was 2 weeks of frustration and eventually I went to see Scott Emerson who sorted it out within a day.

[azureline**]

Some of the posts here were saying we need to give them time to set up protocol for this situation as it has never happened before.......... so, why and how did they have time to organise and implement the 10 am to 4pm scenario?

[polksaladallie]

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@azureline** wrote:

Some of the posts here were saying we need to give them time to set up protocol for this situation as it has never happened before.......... so, why and how did they have time to organise and implement the 10 am to 4pm scenario?

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Those posts are obviously wrong, Az.  There are thousands of detainees some of whom have medical issues, including childbirth, tests, surgery, etc., and have to go to hospitals with escorts.  This probably happens on a daily basis, it's just that we don't know about it.  If it was broadcast, the uglies would come out of the woodwork and behave appallingly.

I used to shop at Toombul shopping centre, and regularly saw people from the Virginia motel shopping there with escorts.  No-one bothered them, and there were no bombs in their trolleys.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@azureline** wrote:

Some of the posts here were saying we need to give them time to set up protocol for this situation as it has never happened before.......... so, why and how did they have time to organise and implement the 10 am to 4pm scenario?

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can't you see that it is a little bit different organizing for a set time within an 8 hour shift than it would be to organize for round the clock access? for the woman to come and go as she pleased?

They are able to inform all the required people at what times they would be travelling, arriving. leaving etc.

How many staff do you believe should have been made available to this woman?

Where do you think they should get these staff from?

Pull them from the people in the motel scenario that polks is harping on about? From the prisons? The Scout Hall?

[cherry*135]

My guess with the timings for the transport is that, they allowed a driver to take the Mum there and back in day shift (9am -5pm). Any hours before 9am and after 5pm would involve penal time, more cost for the Dept.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people in the world suffering from persecution, religious differences, wars, famines, etc, which cause them to want to/to flee their country. This has been going on for decades, even longer. Singling out one of those groups for 'special benefits' wouldn't be fair.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@polksaladallie wrote:

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@azureline** wrote:

Some of the posts here were saying we need to give them time to set up protocol for this situation as it has never happened before.......... so, why and how did they have time to organise and implement the 10 am to 4pm scenario?

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Those posts are obviously wrong, Az.  There are thousands of detainees some of whom have medical issues, including childbirth, tests, surgery, etc., and have to go to hospitals with escorts.  This probably happens on a daily basis, it's just that we don't know about it.  If it was broadcast, the uglies would come out of the woodwork and behave appallingly.

I used to shop at Toombul shopping centre, and regularly saw people from the Virginia motel shopping there with escorts.  No-one bothered them, and there were no bombs in their trolleys.

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Obviously, they're not.

Your first paragraph lacks indepth thought. I'd go as far as to say, any thought.  Are these people transferred at their will for indefinite periods of time? Whenever they like? Are these detainees coming from places without established routines?

This lady was transferred for her surgery, she received medical tests, monitoring and care. She gave birth and was transferred to and from the hospital for this. She was then able to meet her subsequent "appointments" as they were organized for her.

Please provide statistics of how many detainees have given birth in Brisbane?

Paragraph 2, and the people you saw shopping, they were able to do this as often as they liked? They could just wake up and say, I'll head off to the shops in about half an hour, not sure how long I'll be there for either, so just keep the people on standby, be a good chap and rally the troops for me, will you?

They are given specific time frames and days on which shopping trips etc are available.

and your flippant remarks about bombs is appalling. You don't think they would have had checks and searches upon leaving and returning to their facilities?

You're also ignoring the differences in security status' that would be assigned to people already partially assesed and released into the community verses those who have been here a few weeks.

Even prisoners in our prisons have different levels of security status'.