Melbourne, Jan 28 – Asylum seekers on Christmas Island are more depressed, scared and anxious than those on Syrian border, according to Australia’s Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Hanson-Young, who has been on Christmas island for four days after visiting the Za’atari camp on the Syrian border, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the Australian Government is creating a new generation of damaged asylum seekers.
She cited the case of a four-year-old Iranian girl who arrived on Christmas Island ”bubbly and talkative” six months ago, but who had now withdrawn completely, and could only utter the word ”jail” during a 30-minute encounter.
Hanson-Young claimed children on Christmas Island were not being sent to school and were becoming more depressed and vulnerable as they saw their parents’ state deteriorate and, in some cases, resort to self-harm.
Many of those on Christmas Island had been there six months or more without any indication of when their claims for refugee status would begin to be assessed, she said.
Australia also faced a ”baby boom” of stateless children with as many as 100 pregnant women in detention.
Hanson-Young also told the newspaper both Nauru and Manus Island were completely ill-equipped to meet the needs of almost 2000 Christmas Island asylum seekers, who would be transferred to these detention centres under the government’s ”no exceptions” policy.
“Most of the families I spoke to have been here at least six months and are at a crashing point mentally, physically, emotionally,” she said. “The certainty of being sent to Manus or Nauru is weighing heavily on their minds.”
– Bernama
