To: 'clare.oneil.mp@aph.gov.au'

 
Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2024 3:48 PM
To: 'clare.oneil.mp@aph.gov.au' <clare.oneil.mp@aph.gov.au>
Subject: Nauru

Dear Minister O’Neil,

With the recent transfer of ten Chinese nationals to Nauru, my understanding is that there are now  64 detainees on the island. Some of them have been there for six months.

When in opposition, the Labor party often, and rightly, complained about the secrecy and lack of transparency relating to the plight of asylum seekers on Nauru. Yet, in government, you have adopted the Coalition’s policy of keeping the public in the dark, in the hope, presumably, that out of sight is out of mind.

Has your government learned nothing from the tragedies of a decade of offshore detention?

The current situation raises a number of questions, which need to be answered:

• What is the process, and the timeframe, for determining the protection status of the detainees?
• What access do the detainees have to independent legal advice?
• What safeguards have been put in place to protect the health and welfare of the detainees, to prevent past tragedies from being repeated?
• For people found to be in need of protection, what durable solutions will be made available to them?

I would be grateful for an early response.

Yours sincerely,

Mike G.....