Australian Doctors Warn of 'Emergency' Situation for Nauru Refugees

Australian doctors on Thursday sent a letter to the Prime Minister warning about the 'emergency' situation in Australia's refugee detention centers in the Pacific region and requested the Australian government to address and treat the refugees. Tony Barton, President of the Australian Medical Association, wrote in this letter: 'There are currently many credible reports about the adverse effects of long-term detention and uncertainty on the physical and mental health of refugees.' According to Australia's strict immigration policy, refugees attempting to reach Australia are detained and sent to three camps in Papua New Guinea or a camp on Nauru Island. Over a thousand men, women, and children, many of whom are Iranian, live in the camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, and they have been told they will never receive residency rights in Australia. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) in its letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that reports have been received of some refugees harming themselves and called for an immediate dispatch of a team of doctors to Nauru. According to Reuters, the Prime Minister of Australia refrained from commenting when asked by reporters about the AMA's letter. He also stated that many refugees would soon be transferred to the United States. The United States has announced that it will accept about 1,250 refugees from Australian detention centers. Refugee rights advocates say that about 300 refugees have been transferred to the United States so far. Peter Dutton, Australia's Minister for Home Affairs, said in May that hundreds of refugees might remain indefinitely in the camps, as no other country is willing to accept them. The detention of about a hundred children, some of whom have spent their entire lives in Nauru, and multiple reports of some of them harming themselves have led to severe criticism from various organizations. Australia, which claims this policy is necessary to prevent refugees from drowning at sea, has previously transferred some children from Nauru Island. In August, Australia relocated a 12-year-old Iranian boy who had gone on a hunger strike. About two years ago, a 23-year-old Iranian named Omid committed self-immolation in the Nauru camp and died. Last month, the coroner of Queensland in eastern Australia announced the final results of its investigation into the death of an Iranian refugee named Hamid Khazaei, who died four years ago in the Manus camp, deeming the death 'completely preventable.' Hamid Khazaei, a 24-year-old refugee who was held in the Manus camp, was transferred to Papua New Guinea and then to a hospital in Australia after a wound on his foot became infected, where he died. Sources: Reuters and Radio Farda.