Only 36 persons have agreed to New Zealand’s invitation to relocate refugees who have been confined in Australian detention facilities like Nauru for almost six months. The ruthlessness of Australia’s immigration policy is to blame, according to the UN agency for refugees. Many refugees have lost faith in the asylum procedure due to the trauma they endured during their time in detention camps.
Over 110 refugees and asylum seekers were among the more than 1,200 people who were eligible to apply on Nauru, and roughly 1,100 of them were temporarily moved to Australia. Only 14 of the 36 individuals the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has so far submitted for resettlement in New Zealand under this arrangement have received interviews.
Regional Representative for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific for UNHCR Emily Chipman wrote the report. ‘ These people’s mental health impact has greatly hampered their ability to participate in the rehabilitation process,’ she said.
Less than 14% of the more than 1,100 migrants who are now being held in Australia have indicated that they would like to move to New Zealand. The lower number is a result of New Zealand having fewer self-enrollees than anticipated. Deportations to New Zealand are not permitted for those whose applications are still pending in other nations, such as the United States and Canada. As a result, just 9% of Nauru’s population is currently qualified.
Many of the refugees on Nauru are traumatised and have severe mental health issues, which has been blamed for the low acceptance of New Zealand’s offer to resettle them there. A 12-year-old child who was eventually transported to Australia in serious health after being refused food and medical care for more than 20 years is just one of the many migrants who have survived years of abuse.
‘Before people can participate in the refugee determination process, they require a high degree of mental health care and assistance, and this must be actively resuscitated — perhaps by Australia,’ Gharman added. ‘The damage was caused by Australia, after all. Others were worried about dropping off waitlists in Canada or the US because they had previously applied for relocation in those countries’, she said.
A total of 16 refugees are being processed on Nauru, of whom 14 are interviewed to determine their eligibility for New Zealand’s offer. The other 16 are in Australia and have not yet been interviewed as the UNHCR recently included them in the process. An attorney from an advocacy group says it is ‘remarkable’ that such a small number have signed up to start the resettlement process.
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