2016-09-19
The government’s international bragging about its policies towards refugees and people seeking asylum cannot hide the shameful reality of offshore detention from the rest of the world, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.
“As Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton try to convince the international community that everything is going just fine, people on Manus Island and Nauru are at breaking point,” Senator McKim said.
“Not only are Australia’s policies not succeeding, they represent a failure of epic proportions with massive human and financial costs.”
“While the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister are falsely bragging in New York, here in Australia there are yet more revelations of abuse of women and children under Australia’s protection on Nauru.”
“Mr Turnbull and Mr Dutton need to explain to the rest of the world what they intend for the people trapped in limbo in offshore detention.”
Senator McKim said it was insulting to the intelligence for the government to claim a policy “success” by any measure.
“We know that there has been extraordinary human suffering as a result of this government’s policies,” he said.
“We also know that there have been massive cost blow outs, to the point where it now costs much more than half a million dollars per year to keep a single person in offshore detention.” “And despite the government’s lies to the world, we know that people continue to risk their lives by trying to get to Australia in unseaworthy vessels.”