A Greens Senator Has Been Banned From Visiting Refugees On Nauru
She helped exposed widespread abuse of refugees, but it's probably just a co-incidence.
The last time Sarah Hanson-Young visited Australia’s immigration detention centre on Nauru she was given the codename “Raven” and spied on by security staff. Her criticisms of the way refugees were being treated ultimately led to the Moss review, an independent investigation into the detention centre on Nauru that found evidence of rape and sexual assault. But now she’s been blocked from visiting Nauru again, according to The Age.
Hanson-Young is the Greens spokesperson for immigration and has been a strong voice against Australia’s system of mandatory, offshore immigration detention. She recently applied for a visa to visit Nauru and fulfil her parliamentary responsibilities by inspecting the Australian government funded detention centres, but her application was rejected.
“What are the Australian and Nauru governments so desperate to hide?” Senator Hanson-Young told The Age. “Real journalists aren’t allowed anywhere near the island and now members of Parliament aren’t allowed to inspect the detention camp or meet with people that have been sent there.”
There’s been a big focus on Australia’s refugee policy recently after The Guardian published the Nauru Files, more than 2,000 leaked documents detailing abuse suffered by refugees on Nauru. The Labor party, who re-opened the Nauru detention centre, have called for an inquiry into the allegations. Bill Shorten has called on Malcolm Turnbull to travel with him to Nauru and inspect the detention centre.
Shorten says govt should send Dutton to Geneva, start working with UNHCR, set up Senate inquiry, visit Nauru, appoint indep. child advocate
— Stephanie Anderson (@stephanieando) August 24, 2016
The Nauruan government regularly rejects the visa applications of journalists seeking to report on immigration issues. However, a delegation of Danish politicians have recently been given permission to travel to the island.
So even though Australians fund the detention centre on Nauru, our elected representatives aren’t able to visit. But overseas politicians can still check it out. Just another day in the ongoing train wreck that is our refugee policy.