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Callous maltreatment of refugees in Australian detention centres
Further evidence has come to light of the systematic abuse of refugees locked up indefinitely in Australian detention centres. The latest reports come on top of the well-publicised cases of Cornelia Rau and Vivian Alvarez, who were detained, physically mistreated and in Alvarez’s case deported, despite being seriously ill. Alvarez is an Australian citizen and Rau has permanent residency.
On July 29, the Immigration Department released a damning report issued by Knowledge Consulting, following an investigation into the mistreatment of five unnamed asylum seekers in September last year. The detainees were being transferred from Maribyrnong detention centre in Melbourne to the Baxter facility in South Australia when the incidents occurred.
The report found that the refugees were humiliated and treated in an “inhumane and undignified manner” after they were manhandled, denied food, water, medical treatment and toilet stops during the eight-hour journey.
One of the asylum seekers, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardising his visa application, told the Age newspaper that he was only given 10 minutes notice of his transfer between the two detention centres. The man described how he and the four other detainees were refused permission to call a lawyer, and were pushed into a van by guards. After a struggle, one of the detainees reportedly broke a bone in his arm.
The refugee interviewed by the Age described how he was forced into a dark space in the van which was so small that he could not move. “The guards said, ‘If you die inside no one will know,’” the detainee said. “I can’t see anything. For eight hours there was no toilet, I had to go in the van, same as dog.”
When the men first protested against their treatment, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson falsely claimed that the detainees travelled in “a special-purpose air-conditioned vehicle”, and that “[d]uring the drive they had access to food and drink and secure places for toilet stops all along the routes, so the detainees only needed to ask if they required a stop.” Only after official complaints were made to the federal Ombudsman last year did the government convene an investigation into the incident.
The ensuing report criticised Global Solutions Limited (GSL), the transnational firm contracted by the federal government to transport the refugees. GSL officers had no training in essential areas of prisoner transferral, and initial complaints made by three of the refugees were “quickly dismissed by the relevant GSL officer without rigorous investigation”.
Read More
http://wsws.org/articles/2005/aug2005/baxt-a04.shtml
The report found that the refugees were humiliated and treated in an “inhumane and undignified manner” after they were manhandled, denied food, water, medical treatment and toilet stops during the eight-hour journey.
One of the asylum seekers, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardising his visa application, told the Age newspaper that he was only given 10 minutes notice of his transfer between the two detention centres. The man described how he and the four other detainees were refused permission to call a lawyer, and were pushed into a van by guards. After a struggle, one of the detainees reportedly broke a bone in his arm.
The refugee interviewed by the Age described how he was forced into a dark space in the van which was so small that he could not move. “The guards said, ‘If you die inside no one will know,’” the detainee said. “I can’t see anything. For eight hours there was no toilet, I had to go in the van, same as dog.”
When the men first protested against their treatment, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson falsely claimed that the detainees travelled in “a special-purpose air-conditioned vehicle”, and that “[d]uring the drive they had access to food and drink and secure places for toilet stops all along the routes, so the detainees only needed to ask if they required a stop.” Only after official complaints were made to the federal Ombudsman last year did the government convene an investigation into the incident.
The ensuing report criticised Global Solutions Limited (GSL), the transnational firm contracted by the federal government to transport the refugees. GSL officers had no training in essential areas of prisoner transferral, and initial complaints made by three of the refugees were “quickly dismissed by the relevant GSL officer without rigorous investigation”.
Read More
http://wsws.org/articles/2005/aug2005/baxt-a04.shtml
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