Jesuit
Refugee Service Australia says that the expansion of the Christmas
Island processing facility will affect the high quality of service
previously delivered to asylum seekers on the island, potentially adding to the
trauma experienced by detainees.
This
follows the controversial statement by new Australian of the Year, mental
health expert Professor Patrick McGorry, that immigration detention centres
were 'factories for producing mental illness and mental disorder'. Professor
McGorry later clarified his position, saying that the federal government was
'digging the nation out of a hole created by past leaders' when dealing with
asylum seekers.
Agira*,
a Sri Lankan asylum seeker now living in Australia, says that she and her
family were treated with respect and dignity by immigration authorities during
their three-month stay on Christmas Island last year.
Agira,
who has received ongoing assistance from Jesuit Refugee Service, said that
while her three-year-old son did experience moments of trauma, assistance from
authorities as well as volunteer groups helped to soothe him.
'Sometimes
he suffered, sometimes he cried', she said. 'Otherwise he was okay, he would
play, volunteers would give him toys. Other boys played with him, so he felt
happy.'
But
the Director of JRS, Fr Sacha Bermudez-Goldman, says that future asylum seekers
may not have the positive experience of people such as Agira.
'There
is already evidence that the quality of care has deteriorated since the
facility was expanded', he said. 'A Sister of Mercy has been working for JRS providing
pastoral assistance there since mid-December. She says that the facility is at
breaking point trying to house twice the number of people it was built for.
Makeshift facilities are now used, which decrease the quality of the service.'
Fr
Bermudez-Goldman said that the situation was no reflection on the staff at the
facility, who continued to treat the asylum seekers with compassion and care. 'The
reality is that unfortunately we are asking too much of them', he said. 'The
more people that arrive, the longer the refugee status determination processing
will take.'
Fr
Bermudez-Goldman supports calls by refugee advocacy groups for the closing down
of the Christmas Island facility and for the
relocation of processing to the mainland, where many more resources are
available.
These
resources enabled Agira and her family to live in Immigration Residential
Housing within the Villawood compound for six weeks before they were granted
visas and allowed to settle in the Australian community.
'Agira
and her family were lucky in that their case was processed quickly', said Fr
Bermudez-Goldman. 'There are people who have been in detention for six months
or longer and are still waiting.'
Agira,
who is expecting her second child in May, said that while they were also
treated well at Villawood, visits from volunteers - including Fr
Bermudez-Goldman - were essential in maintaining the family's positive outlook.
'My
husband is going to class to improve his English. In two years' time I want to
look for work, but for now my husband wants to find work. He's looking for any
work he can get. We're very happy in Australia.'
* not her real name