How does staying in a detention centre affect asylum seekers personally and what are the lasting effects?
Cause- Staying in a detention centre
Detention centres being described as 'prisons' or 'concentration camps'. People are treated like prisoners in the respect that they have a set day usually consisting of work, school and labour and food comes only after you line up and receive ration tickets. Asylum seekers are being treated just like they have done something illegal, yet under the UN laws seeking asylum is perfectly legal, but all they are doing is waiting for acceptance into the country.
A large factor contributing to this type of treatment and the poor condition of detention centres is the political view of asylum seekers. Governments are so concern about the boats that they have forgotten about the people already in the centres, and when they do remember they go about addressing it the wrong way. The following is a collection of views on asylum seekers from different political parties and patrons.
Harry Minas
Former immigration ministry adviser, on the council for asylum seekers and detention, believes that asylum seekers in detention are already very vulnerable due to what experiences they have had in the past, and detention centres make this worse. To prove this point he makes a good analogy: 'if you had a large number of nurses and psychiatrists and doctors, it really wouldn't make that much difference if the situation is as it is now. it’s a bit like, looking at another
health problem; you put people on a toxic dump then you put a health team in place. it’s not really a smart thing to do. so, if thcircumstances themselves are resulting what's been described as incredibly frequent self-harm, attempts and suicide and also what’s been described as episodes of standover tactics, even torture and violence, then we need to be looking at the context and not attributing all of that to the particular people who are involved'. In summary he is saying that putting a medical team in place to help the asylum seekers simply is not enough, because the cause of the problem is still there, along with the threat of the consequence. Harry Minas is making a good pitch to his fellow political bodies; that our government needs to fix the problem, not stick a 'Band-Aid' on it and hope it goes away.
LABOR PARTY:
Former PM Julia Gillard/Former PM Kevin Rudd/ Opposition leader Bill Shorten:
Julia Gillard, unlike Tony Abbott, believes that sending the boats back
is really the wrong thing to do. She believes that these boats should be stopped
before they even leave the dock so that people do not die at sea, nor do they
suffer in detention. Ms Gillard believes that the asylum seekers also need to
be stopped to make the Australian population sustainable; like all other
politicians she is considering this from the economical perspective. The
economical perspective is a reasonable one, but not the just one. Just like Ms
Gillard, Kevin Rudd does not like the idea of asylum seekers coming into
Australia but instead wants them to be processed offshore. He decided (when he
was in power) that no one who comes by boat will ever be settled in Australia,
forgetting that majority of asylum seekers come by plane. He claims this is
compassionate as well as important in protecting our borders, but is ignorance
is clear both in the idea that all asylum seekers come by boat and that sending
them to live in a detention centre in a country (Manus and Nauru) that is
already struggling to keep up with appropriate conditions for living on its
own.
The current Labor leader Bill Shorten on the other hand is Pro-asylum
seekers, believing in a bigger Australia. Whilst his intentions are to boost the
economy, and it not yet known about his ideas of processing these people, the
pro-asylum seeker ideal is one of the first of its kind to be seen at such a
high level in parliament and offers hope for the future of people seeking
asylum into Australia.
Tony Abbott (Current PM)
Tony Abbott,
before he became prime minster appeared on Q&A and said that he believed
that introducing temporary protection visas would be the best thing for any
asylum seekers that appeared in Australia, despite reports that temporary
protection visas do more damage than good. this however, is not as bad as his
opinion on turning the boats around. Tony Abbott claims that it would be
'compassionate' to turn the boats around; as less people would be dying at sea.
Whilst Tony Abbott is putting forward a humanitarian view is clear from his
answers in the Q&A (see link below for full interview) that, like all
political bodies, only wishes to ensure the economy is prosperous. Just like Mr
Abbott all politicians try to put forward the idea that they do the best for
Australia and for asylum seekers, but it is clear from their lack of
humanitarian based policies ( regarding detention in particular) that all they
want is money and a high reputation for Australia on the global market. They
have gone so far as to ensure this that they have begun to introduce the term
'illegals' because they believe that asylum seekers are a threat to our national
security and are endangering their own life. The term is used in hope that
people will turn against asylum seekers. 'Illegals' makes the asylum seekers
sound like they have committed a criminal offense, when under UN law they have
not. They are not trying to terrorise our country, because if they were why
would they get on a leaky boat? It would be much easier for them to get fake
travel documents. Asylum seekers are simply people who are on their last chance
of survival. It is not them who is making this an issue for the government, it
is the approach of the government and the ideas expressed in the media that
is making them go about it the wrong way and causing it to be an issue when the
answer is simple. Lives come first- and if we are not careful this issue may get
bigger, with speculation that because the boats are being caught out people are
risking their lives in shipping containers- where there is no air and even less
chance of survival.
Consequence
As a result of the poor living standards and denial of rights,
violence is occurring all the time, both between people and self-inflicted.
Around 500 people, including 50 children on Manus island detention centre
suffered from some kind of mental health issue and around 12 people a day
attempted to commit suicide. Hundreds go on hunger strikes, attempt self-harm,
show aggression to staff or peers and attempt suicide. One incident from 2010
went so far in protest that ten asylum seekers detained on Christmas island
sowed their lips together in a final plea for help. It is feelings of defeat
like this that cause asylum seekers to develop mental illnesses such as
depression, anxiety and PTSD.
These actions are spurred on by anger a
depression, which is provoked by degrading treatment and the denial of basic
human rights. When in detention asylum seekers have the following
rights:
- The right to not be in detention and the right to challenge their placement in detention in front
of a court - Children have the right not to be in detention unless it is a last resort and everything must be in the best interest of a
child - People in detention have the right to be treated with humanity, dignity and
respect, and the right not to be subject to torture, cruel punishment or
degradation. - The right not to be sent back to where they came from if their life is
threatened - The right to be entitled to the above rights without discrimination
As well as this a group of Asylum seekers said to DIAC and Serco that they were
also angry about:
- 'the timeframe
between being found to be a refugee and being granted a visa (due to delays
in security clearance)' - 'the timeframe
between a negative decision and an independent merits review
hearinh' - 'concern that UNHCR
mandated were ignored in the decision making
process' - the lack of third
country options for those on a negative
pathway - the absence of
perceptible change following the announced March 1, 2011 changes, which
were supposed to speed up
processing
To make matters worse, Guards in detention centres have been found to
deport asylum seekers with violence; including placing them in a body lock that
can cause asphyxia (position that severely restricts breathing). They has also
been admittance to the use of tranquiliser sedatives to calm detainees. Some
detention centres, such as Pontville, are not regularly checked and the one on
Christmas island has been left to the point that there is now an asbestos risk.
Guards from the Christmas island detention centre are even denying every claim
that was made by the asylum seeker interviewed and the information gathered from
every other detention centre.
Unfortunately, the effects of detention
do not simply ‘wear off’ after the papers are accepted and the asylum seeker is
allowed to resettle. The consequences keep growing. Studies showed both children
and adults suffered from distressing memories after being released, and parents
felt that they could no longer properly care for their children. Information
shows that majority of asylum seekers released from detention experience:
- trouble making bonds
and relationships with others - felt a sense of
insecurity, injustice and had low
self-esteem
- depression, anxiety and
post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), bad memories, poor life outlooks and
difficulty concentration
- struggle to learn or carry a condition that was caused by detention which limits their ability
to be properly educated
- extreme anxiety as a result of having been through the trauma of escaping their home as well as
that of detention centres. This can lead to emotional numbing ( can no
longer feel any emotion, e.g. don't feel sad, happy,etc.), anxiety,
uncertainty and nightmares
- Feel as though they have no control over their future
- limited legal access as a result of lack of education and 'badge' entitling them the label of
asylum seeker
How can we change this?
First and foremost, we need to recognise the rights that asylum seekers have, under the UN, when
seeking asylum. This is because whilst the government makes out that seeking
asylum is illegal, it actually is not. The United Nations state that travelling
and entering a country without the appropriate legal documents 'should not be
treated as illegal if seeking asylum'. This is because seeking asylum is only
done under the direst of circumstances. People are forced to flee from fear of
persecution or war. Because of this many do not have their travel documents.
The exception made is similar to an ambulance. 'permitting asylum seekers to
enter a country without travel documents is similar to allowing ambulance
drivers to exceed the speed limit is an emergency- the action would ordinarily
be perceived as illegal, but the circumstances warrant exception.' When we
think about it this way we realise that just like we would in any circumstance
involving an ambulance, we need to think about the issue from a humanitarian
perspective as well as a political perspective.
Thoughts revolving around these rights have led to many
speculations about the ‘what if’s’. Some of them are listed
below:
Another government?
imagine if another government
other than liberal or labour was in power. Do you think the policies would
change? Clive Palmer claims that one of his policies is 'Revising the current
Australian Government’s Refugee Policy to ensure Australia is
protected and refugees are given opportunities for a better future and
lifestyle'. This political claim is extremely broad and doesn't address
detention centres or onshore processing. Sadly, although everyone wants asylum
seekers to be addressed as a humanitarian issue, the government will always put
forwards the political and economic view because that is what they have been
employed to do. Their interests must always lie in the benefit of the immediate
Australian population, which means asylum seekers are not a matter of
urgency.
No Detention Centres?
If there were no detention
centres asylum seekers would be given what they came for- a better life.
Australia would be internationally recognised as a generous country. There would
be more people in Australia to benefit to the economy, pay the taxes, do the
work and boost the population- everything that Australian demographers and
economists could want. On the humanitarian side of things, Australia would no
longer be breaking UN law, or causing traumatised people to become even more
traumatised and in a seriously bad mental state. Australia would become more
multiculturally diverse and we would be doing our part to share our resources
with our neighbours. There is only one earth that we all must share.
On the
other hand, if there were no detention centres, and limited processing, there is
a threat of people who want to do no good. Citizens would have to pay taxes to
support asylum seekers until they could manage themselves and the government
would need to either build up or find a way to build out to provide housing. If
these asylum seekers came without skill and were immediately let into the
country without training there would be no jobs for them, roads would become
more polluted and therefore the environment would struggle. Australia has a
large land area available, but it does not have the resources to make this land
liveable.
What does more damage? Letting asylum seekers into the
country or keeping them in detention?
Since this test cannot really be
conducted, the information must go based on surveys, stories and ideals. By
keeping people in detention we are damaging their mental health and, in some
circumstances, risking their physical health also. At the moment, taking asylum
seekers straight into the country would cause tax rises, as well as housing,
education and environment strain. The obvious answer, if a proper immediate
processing plan was put into place that asylum seekers should be let straight
into the community. At the current moment in time we do not have this however,
and must deal with the situation that we have. Keeping asylum seekers in
detention is a costly effort, with over $1 billion spent on the management of
detention centres in the past financial year. This figure means that around
$119000 is spent per asylum seeker per year on keeping them in detention. Along
with this there are the costs of building new detention centres and an extra
$25,000 that needs to be spent on mental health problems per person per year for
those who have stayed in detention. So when the government really thinks about
it what would cost more?
It has been found that of the 12,100 people who
have been released from detention since November 2011 only 5 have been charged
with a crime- and this crime could potentially have been provoked by an attitude
picked up within detention. These rates would most likely be lower than those of
the rates of people born and continually living in Australia. When these
statistics are shown, what evidence does it really provide that asylum seekers
will harm the nation?
The idea of community processing ( being accepted
into the community and given funds to help them rebuild) being a less cruel
way to process asylum seekers has been found to work, with (as of 2011), less
than 20% relying on government handouts after being settled for some time.
Community processing is the closest and best thing for asylum seekers to being
accepted straight into Australia. Not only this, but is found to be much
cheaper- saving $333 per person per day off the cost of mandatory detention
($339 per person per day).
If community processing is practically accepting
them into the country, for a much cheaper cost and processing them in a much
more humane way, then why are we not doing it? Human rights Australia believe
that the government do not mind throwing away billions of dollars to see people
suffer if it means keeping up the idea of xenophobia and putting forward the
ideal that Australia is so strong and cannot be invaded by anyone. But really
asylum seekers are not an invasion- they are a plea for help. We need to look at
this from a humanitarian perspective rather than a political one. After all,
what is more important than a human
life?
In order to make these what ifs and their benefits a reality, we
need to incorporate catholic social
teaching and scripture to guide us down the right path.
Catholic social teaching is the central body of teaching in Catholicism, and
it tells of the catholic perspective and expectations in regards to social,
cultural, political and environmental dimensions. ‘Is
an interpretation of reality is the light of the gospels, the churches tradition
and human wisdom which aims to bring a head to the social justice issues faced
in the community. Catholic social teaching promotes a vision of a just society
that is grounded in the biblical revelation, the teachings of the leaders of the
early , and in the wisdom gathered from experience by the Christian community as
it has tried to respond to social justice issues through history.”
Catholic social teaching follows the see, judge act methodology
from which we should be able to work out the principles for guidance, criteria
for judgement and directives for action. In terms of the effects of detention
centres of asylum seekers, we can see that it is taking a toll on their mental
health, with many carry this through even after being released and therefore
struggling to rebuild their lives. As Christians we can judge that God would not
approve of this treatment, and that it is so inhumanely in just that it needs to
be solved. This means that it is time to act, basing our actions on the nine
basic elements/ principles that have been put in place as to help people
understand and follow catholic social teaching. They can be used to address the
issue of asylum seekers and how we should be responding to this issue of
injustice. These elements include: human dignity, solidarity, common good,
subsidiarity, participation, universal purpose of goods, preferential option for
the poor, dignity of work and ecological responsibility. The three that apply
the most to asylum seekers are human dignity, solidarity and
participation
Human dignity: the right of the
human person to be treated with justice, respects and dignity. Asylum
seekers are not receiving this justice, respect or dignity. [3]They are being kept in
detention centres, as though they have done something illegal. It is known that
under the UN declaration of human rights they are not illegally entering the
country, despite not having travel documents (article 14 of the UDHR) and
therefore should be acknowledged and respected. They have suffered enough
injustice in their own country let alone in being kept in detention- which
contradicts article 9 ( no one shall be held in arbitrary detention) of the
universal declaration of human rights. These people have also suffered a severe
deprivation of respect and dignity, simply for the labels, like illegals, and
the image that comes with being held in any form of detention. They are being
treated as animals, put in headlock and shot with tranquilisers. As Christians
we should be following the catholic social teaching principle of human dignity
and ensuring that all receive it. It is a big task to undo what has been done
but by following the see judge act it can be undone in small steps. We have seen
the injustice which is innocent people being treated as illegals. We have judged
that these people need help, but also that it is a big thing to overturn. We
must now act, by taking small steps to achieving a larger goal. The best way to
start is to campaign and become involved in the issue- first trying to change
and manage the conditions in detention centres. By doing this we will be able to
fix the issues that detention centres cause- such as mental and physical illness
and breakage of relationships and dignity. Following that we should be pushing
into more research for a better action plan of processing. Community processing
is the best option, and could later be developed to extend to a wider number of
people and eventually into a full processing scheme that allows for easy and
safe resettlement
Solidarity: solidarity is similar to what was described above as
taking a stand for human dignity. People are social by nature and by locking
them up in detention centres we are denying them from experiencing the social
world and therefore limiting their full potential. To stand in solidarity with
those disadvantaged means to help aid and heal the wounds of these people to act
on the judgement made about the severity of the issue. Asylum seekers is a huge
issue that is putting thousands of young lives at risk
of mental and physical harm and
is ruining what could be an extremely fulfilling life. We must take steps
to empower those who have been left in solidarity and following our Christian
teachings that tell us to ‘love thy neighbour’. This could mean protesting in
means of physically standing in solidarity with those in detention or
communicating to the government that these people are being denied a life that
could not only benefit them but will also benefit the community. We need to
stand by these people as they suffer and help them to get back on their feet.
Ways to do this could be through starting a charity and donating to improve
conditions in detention centres and to fund community processing and regular
social outings for those in detention. The ultimate goal would be to remove all
from detention so that they are free to enjoy a life that they choose- a life
that is not restricted as a result of the injustices caused from staying in
detention. If they don’t socialise with the wider community, they will never be
fully accepted.
Participation: ‘we have
both a right and a duty to participate in those decisions that mostly effect is.
We can shape our own destiny rather than simply accept the decisions of
others’. As strong, willing people in our community we have the right to be
heard and the right to stand up for what is right and just- the right to stand
up and protest for the release of asylum seekers. In a heavily anti-asylum
seeker government it will be hard to do, but as Christians and people who see
the injustice and have judged it to be of major concern we now have the
obligation to act no matter the difficulty- because nothing could be as
difficult as staying in detention. Imagine being in a world of depression, only
to realise when you go out it still loomed over your head. Although we are
government rule we can change how the government works, especially since we
live in a democracy. We have freedom of speech and will and can shape our own
country; and it is time that we put this power into practice to help those who
were denied this once by their own country and again by ours. Protesting and
creating political or interest groups can help to push the government to
understand the horrors that have occurred and the justices that need to be
fixed. We can use modern technology to blog, post, tweet and share statuses
about the issue. Ultimately, we need to change the way that the media is
portraying asylum seekers. It is the government who is controlling this so if
we change one we change the other. The media portrays asylum seekers to be
infiltrators and terrorists, but we know this is not the case. We must change
the way the country views asylum seekers. As powerful citizens we do not have
to accept the decisions of ignorant others, but instead should be implementing
the ideals of God and catholic social teachings. God knows what is right and as
his people it is our obligation to deny the reality of detention centres and to
implement our own- we must implement the kingdom of God here on
earth.
The Gaudium et Spes backs up the catholic social teaching and
provides a deep religious and moral insight to how we treat asylum seekers- in
particular those of loving thy neighbour and the act of solidarity. In chapter 1
(the dignity of the human person), it makes reference to man being created ‘to
the image of God’ and that when God saw ‘all that he had made, and it was very
good (genesis 1:31). If man is created in the image of God and man is good, why
is it that some are treated differently to others because they fear persecution?
Did the Lord not fear persecution too?
The gaudium et spes then goes on to describe solidarity and how
man was not created to fit this from. He created man and female for the purpose
of company and social interaction. The Lord himself constantly interacted with
all sorts of people. if man was created in this way then why are we treating
asylum seekers as lower class and denying them of their gifts from God. it is
time that we open the minds of those committing senseless persecution and tell
them what they are doing, while trying to protect the borders is really torture
to the innocent. Social interaction is a necessity and we must allow this God
given gift, for how else are we to know what they are really like? Society will
never know that asylum seekers are the same as we are unless they can interact.
We need to tell the government and allow people to talk to the asylum seekers so
that we can open the minds and hearts of the people with the power; both the
community and the government.
In chapter two of the gaudium et spes we learn that God has
created all as one family, and that ‘from one man has created the whole human
race and made them live all over the face of the earth’ (acts 17:26). The
gaudium et spes sates the ‘all men are called to one and the same goal, namely
God himself’. If we are one family, why are we treating our brothers and
sisters in different ways? Again we are called to love thy neighbour and to
participate in our family with a sense of dedication, love, and equality. we
must actively participate in our community and help our family- make people
recognise that we are the same and that we can all share the earth. In order for
this to happen we first must stop the separation of families in detention
centres by petitioning to the government and sending funds to keep them together
in detention or rather have them communally processes. The ultimate goal is to
persuade governments not to use all the money to upgrade roads and
infrastructure but rather to creating a plan to properly process these people
and to fund their infrastructure and livelihood needs. The government needs our
help with ideas. We must start now!
Along with the teachings mentioned above in the gaudium et spes, Timothy 2 13: 12, 4:17 revisits the ideas of persecution.
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” This passage from Timothy explains how despite the governments and controllers of detention centres believing that they are in control and are doing the best thing, the asylum seekers are the real followers of Christ. They share his suffering to find something better. But sometimes, they cannot find anything and become stuck under this persecution.
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.’- this reference from timothy expands the point of the strength of the asylum seekers, but also refers to them being rescued. In this day and age many they are guided by God out of their countries, but they end up ‘stuck in the lions mouth’ or ‘stuck in detention, stuck in depression’. We as free people need to be the ones to act. We need to help our brothers, sisters and neighbours for the good of the world and of the morals of the church. If not, our actions snowball. Matthew 25: 37-46 explains how our actions can start of small but end up influencing
millions of people:
Then the righteous will answer him,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
something to drink? 38When
did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’40“The
King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,
you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you
gave me nothing to drink, 43I
was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not
clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or
a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help
you?’45“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of
the least of these, you did not do for me.’46“Then they will go away to
eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal
life.”
The passage explains that, in relation to asylum seekers, to help one of them to have the basic necessities we are ultimately moving steps forwards to doing this for all. But in saying so the reverse also applies. If we treat just a few badly, our efforts spiral and all end up with the same reputation. Sometimes we may not know that we are doing this, and therefore we must become more aware of our actions and the portrayal of these people. The media portrays them to be terrorists and invaders, when really they are just desperate people who need a hand. In turn, helping asylum seekers is like helping God build the kingdom of God on earth as we, including asylum seekers, are all made in the image of God. This can go the opposite way as well, as hurting them is like hurting God. If you wouldn’t hurt God, then why would you hurt his children who are merely struggling? We are all a part of one family and hurting them is like hurting your brother or sister in a way that they will never recover. So what are you prepared to do to change that?
Asylum seekers are a big issue in our society today, and if we do not address the cause of their pain, the effects will snowball and soon the consequences will take over. We will have ruined lives, just because of our laziness. We would be the cause of depression, anguish and death. We must put our catholic social teachings into place and fix this before it is too late