Refugees and asylum seekers held on Nauru are sounding alarms over their precarious access to food, revealing that many are compelled to skip meals due to insufficient funds. The Australian government has allocated around $1.5 million (US$989,504) per person to a U.S. prison contractor for managing their housing, yet food provisions are glaringly absent from this arrangement.
An anonymous asylum seeker shared the struggles faced, stating that their fortnightly allowance of $230 (US$151) from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs falls drastically short of meeting basic needs. “We didn’t know coming to Australia was a crime,” they expressed, underscoring the harrowing conditions on the island.
Another detainee highlighted the prohibitive costs of imported food, which make it nearly impossible to afford essential fruits and vegetables, ultimately impacting their health. “Every day I feel I’m dying … most of the time I think my life has no meaning,” they remarked despairingly.
The contract with MTC Australia, recently extended to $364 million (US$240 million) for the operation of the regional processing facility, notably excludes provisions for food and employment opportunities for the asylum seekers. MTC Australia, a subsidiary of the Management and Training Corporation, has netted around $786 million (US$518 million) from managing offshore processing systems, with only men currently detained on the island—105 individuals, of which 90 reside in the Nauru community and 15 in the processing center.
Adding to the distress, one asylum seeker recounted a physical assault at work, which led him to resign, leaving him even more vulnerable in terms of food security and finances. “$230 a fortnight is not enough to survive. I can’t work anymore because I got assaulted at work,” he stated, highlighting the lack of protection from local police when seeking assistance.
Jana Favero, deputy chief executive of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, criticized the government for what she termed “breathtaking negligence” regarding offshore processing contracts. She urged taxpayers to be outraged that vulnerable individuals are facing food insecurity while the government allocates hefty sums without accountability.
Advocacy groups are pressing for immediate reforms, echoing long-standing concerns about the humane treatment of asylum seekers in Australia’s offshore facilities. As discussions continue around the moral implications of the nation’s immigration policies, there is hope that such dialogue may yield more compassionate and equitable solutions to the issues confronting refugees and asylum seekers. The plight of those detained serves as a poignant reminder of the need for a more humane approach within Australia’s immigration framework.