Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Australian senator says decade old horrors resurfacing in Nauru

Posted at 00:27 on 15 October, 2012 UTC

The Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says decade-old horrors are resurfacing for asylum seekers at Australia’s reopened offshore processing centre in Nauru.

This follows reports of an attempted suicide among the more than 200 asylum seekers already sent to the island.

Ms Hanson-Young says the Australian government has ignored the problems of its earlier experience detaining asylum seekers on Nauru.

She says experts warned of unrest, depression and anxiety as happened last time.

“To put those already fragile people in a remote location away from the health services being able to access appropriate language services. It is always going to lead to disaster unless you tackle those issues up front.”

Sarah Hanson-Young says more interpreters and other services are needed at the significantly under resourced camp.