Refugee Update

[dreamer_easy]

newwavefeminism's posting on Tumblr, above, sums up the contradictory response of the West in general, tbh - certainly Australia's. This challenging essay by Dina Nayeri explores the gratitude expected of refugees - how we begrudge and resent giving the help we promised, how we expect to be rewarded for it - which I think connects directly to this hypocrisy.

Manus healthcare provider forced to leave for practising unlicensed (GA, 3 April 2017) "International Health and Medical Services replaced by skeleton staff from PNG company Paradise, providing detainees only basic and emergency medical care... Some detainees requiring medication for chronic conditions have been left without medication during the changeover." If those "chronic conditions" include mental illness, I can tell you from personal experience that a lot of people are going to get very sick very suddenly. As a diabetic, I shudder to think what other diseases are being left untreated. Behrouz Boochani: "The refugees are happy that IHMS left Manus, not because they think Paradise will provide medical treatment for them, but because they hate IHMS. IHMS was one of the main tools for torturing people in Manus during four years of suffering."

US officials fingerprint refugees on Manus Island as part of US-Australia resettlement deal (ABC, 5 April 2017)

Amnesty International report says billion-dollar offshore centre contracts should be made public (ABC, 5 April 2017)

Amnesty warns any company taking over Manus and Nauru camps complicit in 'abuse' (GA, 5 April 2017)

Filming 'Chauka' at Manus Island's detention facilities (The Saturday Paper, 8 April 2017) | Iranian refugee's film shot on mobile phone shows life inside Manus Island detention centre (ABC, 3 April 2017)

Former Australian journalist detained on Manus Island by PNG immigration officials (ABC, 7 April 2017)

Amnesty calls for release of refugee Loghman Sawari in Papua New Guinea (GA, 5 April 2017)

Offshore detention may hurt Australia's bid for UN Human Rights Council seat (GA, 7 April 2017) | Australians who blew the whistle on offshore detention to speak at global Women in the World Summit summit (SMH, 2 April 2017)

Details of Australia's asylum seeker boat turnbacks released in FoI battle (GA, 3 April 2017)