3 types of denial that allow Australians to feel OK about how we treat refugees (2015)

[herenow1]

First denial:The Australian government has argued that PNG and Nauru – which aren’t part of Australia – have jurisdiction over the detention facilities and the refugees in them. It claims all Australia does is provide financial and material support.

Such arguments make it difficult to hold Australia accountable. But they are also incorrect. A Senate inquiry, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and human rights groups, among others, have argued Australia exercises effective control and shares jurisdiction with Nauru and PNG.

Second denal: Denying fact

A second key strategy is denial of fact. The Australian government, along with the governments of Nauru and PNG, has denied human rights abuses and made it hard to find out what occurs in offshore detention.

Human rights monitors and journalists have been restricted or denied access to offshore detention.

Staff have been threatened with prosecution under confidentiality agreements if they speak publicly about detention treatment.

Third point: Denying wrongdoing

Along with “stopping the boats”, the government has argued offshore detention has been necessary to save lives at sea.

When former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Méndez criticised Australia for violating the UN Convention against Torture in 2015, then Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated

The most humanitarian, the most decent, the most compassionate thing you can do is stop these boats because hundreds, we think about 1200 in fact, drowned at sea during the flourishing of the people smuggling trade under the former government.

This is a key strategy of self-deception. By arguing the policy is saving lives, it focuses attention away from the harm refugees suffer, to the humanitarian goal of “saving lives”.

Moral dilemmas about torture or ill treatment are pushed aside, and so are feelings of wrongdoing.https://theconversation.com/3-types-...efugees-186294

The latest news is a US private company that operates private prisons in the USA has taken control of Narau detention center. It is well documented on the abuses this private prison company has operated in the USA. But the Labor government has given consent to this. Since there were well documented abuses in the company US private prisons, there will be soon stories emerging on the abuses in Nauru detention center.

[danielsa1775]

Originally Posted by herenow1

First denial:The Australian government has argued that PNG and Nauru – which aren’t part of Australia – have jurisdiction over the detention facilities and the refugees in them. It claims all Australia does is provide financial and material support.

Such arguments make it difficult to hold Australia accountable. But they are also incorrect. A Senate inquiry, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and human rights groups, among others, have argued Australia exercises effective control and shares jurisdiction with Nauru and PNG.

Second denal: Denying fact

A second key strategy is denial of fact. The Australian government, along with the governments of Nauru and PNG, has denied human rights abuses and made it hard to find out what occurs in offshore detention.

Human rights monitors and journalists have been restricted or denied access to offshore detention.

Staff have been threatened with prosecution under confidentiality agreements if they speak publicly about detention treatment.

Third point: Denying wrongdoing

Along with “stopping the boats”, the government has argued offshore detention has been necessary to save lives at sea.

When former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Méndez criticised Australia for violating the UN Convention against Torture in 2015, then Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated

The most humanitarian, the most decent, the most compassionate thing you can do is stop these boats because hundreds, we think about 1200 in fact, drowned at sea during the flourishing of the people smuggling trade under the former government.

This is a key strategy of self-deception. By arguing the policy is saving lives, it focuses attention away from the harm refugees suffer, to the humanitarian goal of “saving lives”.

Moral dilemmas about torture or ill treatment are pushed aside, and so are feelings of wrongdoing.https://theconversation.com/3-types-...efugees-186294

The latest news is a US private company that operates private prisons in the USA has taken control of Narau detention center. It is well documented on the abuses this private prison company has operated in the USA. But the Labor government has given consent to this. Since there were well documented abuses in the company US private prisons, there will be soon stories emerging on the abuses in Nauru detention center.

I had no idea Naru and PNG still house people claiming refugee status in Australia? (Looks like their are still a 100 or so in Naru).

Not sure who the deniers are, refugee advocates aplenty in my part of the world.

[herenow1]

Originally Posted by danielsa1775

I had no idea Naru and PNG still house people claiming refugee status in Australia? (Looks like their are still a 100 or so in Naru).

Not sure who the deniers are, refugee advocates aplenty in my part of the world.

It the federal government that denies it. I used to work with asylum seekers. The stories I heard from aslyum seekers experiencing in detention centers have astonished me, such as children there attempting suicide, and sexual abuse of the women there. I even knew a woman who I am friend that was there and she suffered sexual abuse by a guard there. When she reported it, the authorities would not do a thing and did not believe her, despite cameras there.

here are still refugees held offshore in critical need of permanent resettlement, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic strains already inadequate social and medical services for the around 110 refugees held on Nauru and 100 in Papua New Guinea.

There are also over 1000 refugees who after being held in detention centres both in Australia and offshore are now living in the community on punitive and harmful temporary visas, which deny them the basic rights to rebuild their lives.

For 14 people the conditions of detention have cost them their lives.https://asrc.org.au/2022/07/19/july-19-t4h/

[BCC_1]

If you watched Four Corners on Monday and the way indigenous Australian children are treated in detention then the abysmal treatment of asylum seekers, which should be a national shame, makes a lot of sense.