Report Released on Indonesian Immigration
Behind Australian Doors: Examining the Conditions of
Detention of Asylum Seekers in Indonesia.
A Report by
Jessie Taylor BA(Hons) LLB(Hons) MSc(HA) (see attached)
3
November 2009
A new empirical report released today
describes poor conditions across many Indonesian immigration
detention facilities. The report, produced by lawyer and
refugee advocate Jessie Taylor, highlights cramped
conditions, grossly inadequate hygiene and sanitation,
rodent infestations, inadequate and inappropriate food,
polluted water, and a lack of medical care
available to
asylum seekers.
‘Behind Australian Doors: Examining
the Conditions of Detention of Asylum Seekers in
Indonesia’ is based on Taylor’s examination of detention
facilities throughout July 2009, during which she met with
over 250 asylum seekers in 11 places of detention and
accommodation across the Indonesian archipelago. Along with
Taylor, film-maker David Schmidt obtained many hours of
footage of conditions inside detention centres, and
interviews with detainees, including
children.
“Conditions in asylum seekers’
accommodation ranges from acceptable to appalling”, said
Taylor. “In the worst places, we saw babies and children
behind bars, with filthy drinking water, deprived of basic
education, malnourished and very, very
frightened”.
“Particularly confronting were
conversations with unaccompanied minors, many of whom are
housed in immigration jails with adult male populations”,
Taylor said. According to the report, families are generally
housed in more appropriate accommodation, when there are
women and babies. However, there are many 13 to 17 year old
children in adult jails, slipping through the cracks because
they are alone and do not have parents or siblings to look
out for them. The report observes that many are orphans with
no family at all, while some have families who sent them
away from home after older siblings were
killed.
Taylor expressed her surprise at the hesitance
of asylum seekers to get on a boat. “On one thing, the
Australian government and the asylum seekers agree
completely: that it is a terrible idea to attempt the boat
journey to Australia. Asylum seekers are horrified at the
prospect, and are driven to make an attempt only after they
are convinced at the hopelessness of their
situation. At
the moment, there is just no viable prospect of a safe,
formal resettlement into Australia”.
Department of
Immigration and Citizenship figures indicate that in
2008-2009 there was resettlement of 35 people from
Indonesia. According to Taylor, “these figures display the
gross inadequacy of Australia’s resettlement program in
dealing with the ‘queue’ in Indonesia. It must come as
no surprise that, given the apparent impossibility of
resettlement, asylum seekers make the frightening decision
to attempt the boat journey, channeling profit to
people
smugglers”.
The report recommends that in
order to stop boats from coming, the Australian Government
needs to install a controlled, robust and fair assessment
and resettlement process from Indonesia to Australia, wiping
out the demand for people smugglers. It must also increase
its resettlement intake slightly to accommodate those found
to be genuine refugees, in accordance with international
obligations.
“Given that there is no sign of a
decrease in global refugee numbers, it is in the best
interests of all parties (except people smugglers) that
Australia should increase its resettlement intake and
bolster the processing capabilities and efficiencies of the
UNHCR, taking a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region,
and satisfying its obligations under international law”,
Taylor
said.
Taylor and Schmidt hope to produce a
documentary with the footage they have obtained, and are in
the process of seeking funding to do
so.
ENDS