8 October 2018

Green Party: Nauru Government ejecting Doctors Without Borders mental healthcare workers shows continued callousness

The Nauruan Government’s decision to ask Doctors Without Borders to immediately leave shows continued callousness towards asylum seekers desperately seeking a safe place to call home, Green MP Golriz Ghahraman said today.

“We thought the environment for families, men women and children seeking asylum could not get any worse on Nauru, now the critical service Doctors Without Borders are being asked to leave imminently.

“The Australian Government should absolutely intervene, since Australia is responsible for creating this camp to begin with that Amnesty International and the UN have said is illegal and akin to torture. We’ve already heard many reports of young men, women and children in a catatonic state because of such severe and ongoing trauma.

“To remove this desperately needed mental healthcare service will no doubt cost lives. The New Zealand Government has offered to take those on Nauru and Manus and the Green Party reaffirm that commitment.

“Doctors Without Borders are allowed to stay in war zones and refugee camps around the world, to ask them to leave Nauru demonstrates just how much the situation has deteriorated. The disregard for the wellbeing of those who did nothing but exercise their basic human right to seek asylum from persecution and war is shameful.

“They deserve a safe place to call home, and New Zealand can offer that”.

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