Nauru, once the richest nation globally, now stands among the most vulnerable due to intense phosphate mining that depleted its soil and main income source. In 2001, Nauruan authorities agreed to host a regional Australian offshore processing center in exchange for development aid. Under this arrangement, asylum-seekers headed for Australia are sent to the island during their resettlement process. With the increasing number of asylum-seekers worldwide and ongoing debates over foreign policy and immigration, several European countries are contemplating adopting Australia’s approach.

UK’s Immigration Strategy

The United Kingdom’s (U.K.’s) 2021 Plan for Immigration highlights its commitment to future migration partnerships and amends sections 77 and 78 of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 to allow for the transfer of asylum seekers from the U.K. while their claims or appeals are pending. The plan also keeps options open for offshore asylum processing if needed in the future. This approach remains pertinent as, in July 2024, the Guardian reported British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s openness to processing refugees offshore.

Human Rights Concerns

Although the U.K. intends to follow international regulations, the Nauru Detention Center can serve as a warning to other nations seeking to implement similar standards, as Human Rights Watch and prominent media outlets have denounced the poor living conditions and reported human rights violations in these facilities. Since 2013, people held at the Nauru Processing Center have been subject to several human rights violations, living in substandard conditions and in a seemingly endless uncertainty of whether they will be able to find resettlement elsewhere. 

Tragic Incidents and Living Conditions

In 2016, this situation gained major international attention when Omid Masoumali, a 23-year-old Iranian refugee who sought asylum in Australia, lit himself on fire in an act of protest against the country’s cruel detention policy. Detained for more than three years in Nauru, Omid died two days later.

In an interview for Amnesty International, Elham Arouni Hesari, Omid’s mother, said her son “loved Australia, but the way the country rejected and took his life will forever torture [her].” She elaborated on the wounds he acquired – internal bleeding and burns – and questioned why he was operated on in ill-equipped medical facilities. Refugees receive inhumane treatment, residing in moldy, overcrowded and unhygienic tents where they lack both safety and privacy. With little access to education and proper housing, children and parents often reported feeling unsafe due to the guards’ aggressive and threatening behavior.

Nauru’s Health Care Crisis

Dr. Nick Martin, along with other health care specialists and Nauruans, find the health care system on the island unsatisfactory and inadequate for the community’s needs. The Nauruan government struggles with a deepening health crisis, especially regarding refugee protection. For the past 11 years, patients frequently needed medical treatment overseas but were often denied transfer to Australian hospitals, leading to worsened health outcomes and sometimes fatal consequences.

Despite Australia investing significantly in Nauru’s health facilities—approximately A$865,000 annually per person—medical treatment remains insufficient. With a small community, Nauru is ill-equipped to meet the needs of its increasingly vulnerable population. Independent reviews by the Australian Medical Association have highlighted critical gaps, including a lack of access to essential items like glasses or medications for existing conditions.

Meghna Abraham, Director of Global Thematic Issues at Amnesty International, has strongly criticized these practices, stating, “Nauru has failed to provide refugees with the health care they desperately need. Denying them medical transfers is yet another blow and demonstrates just how far the human rights of refugees have slipped down Nauru and Australia’s agendas.”

Challenges Faced by Refugees

Refugees who have integrated into the Nauruan community face significant challenges, as highlighted in the latest report by the Asylum Seeker Resources Centre (ASRC). Despite promises of necessities upon release from closed detention, many still struggle to afford three meals a day, clothes, drinking water, towels and shoes.

An anonymous asylum-seeker explained the financial hardships to ASRC: “Everything on Nauru is very expensive and the financial allowance of $230 per fortnight is not enough. The phone and internet package is $100 and drinking water is $70, this leaves $60 for food and all other expenses. IHMS doctors told us to eat fruits and vegetables, but we cannot afford it and it is affecting our health.”

Accommodation also presents challenges, with more than 35 people residing in complexes similar to detention centers, sharing cramped spaces with inadequate facilities. Some report needing to walk two hours to reach a bus stop. Additionally, the cost of phone credit prevents many from keeping in touch with their families, exacerbating mental health issues in a ss=”yoast-text-mark”>ss=”yoast-text-mark”>ss=”yoast-text-mark”>ss=”yoast-text-mark”>ss=”yoast-text-mark”>f=”https://asrc.org.au/2024/10/17/people-held-on-nauru-moved-into-community-and-face-further-challenges/”>community where 22% already suffer from serious mental conditions.

Lessons from Nauru

The Nauru Detention Center serves as a cautionary tale against penalizing asylum-seekers. In the U.K., former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s goal of >stopping small boat crossings and perceived successes in Australia in reducing irregular arrivals have contributed to the belief that such systems work. However, beyond significant human rights concerns, the costs of maintaining the Nauru Detention Center are astronomical—approximately $573,000 per person each year, according to a 2019 report by Save the Children, Get Up!, and the ASRC. Current opinions and developments indicate a failure to learn from Australia’s mistakes, with scholars criticizing the government for “seeking to enact cruel policies for populist political gain.”

– Beatriz Cicci

Beatriz is based in London, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr