Around 200 refugees staged a protest at Ijuw camp on Nauru, late yesterday afternoon, Friday 24 April.
The refugees called for “Justice,” and “Freedom,” and “Cambodia – never, ever.”
The protest comes at the end of a week of frenzied efforts by the Australian immigration department to find refugees and asylum seekers who will agree to go to Cambodia.
“The chartered plane that was meant to take refugees from Nauru to Cambodia seems to have been indefinitely postponed due to lack of interest,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
Despite massive bribes of up to $15,000 for those who agree to be resettled in Cambodia, the Refugee Action Coalition can only confirm one Iranian asylum seeker and one Rohingyan refugee who have so far agreed to go to Cambodia.
The lack of interest is a massive embarrassment for Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton and the Australian government.
For the last few days, refugees on the island have been getting random phone calls from officials trying to sell the deal – so far, to no avail.
Despite the Cambodian agreement supposedly only being available for refugees, the Immigration Department has also approached asylum seekers in the detention centre in an effort to get some interest in being transferred to Cambodia.
“Not only is the government circulating false information about conditions on Cambodia, there is a clear implication that the Australian government is offering refugee status to asylum seekers who have been waiting 18 months for a refugee determination – as long as they will go to Cambodia. It is exploitation of extremely vulnerable people for their own corrupt political ends,” said Rintoul.
Meanwhile the conditions in the main refugee family camp have deteriorated to crisis point. The camp, which has three pregnant women and 13 children, has been without power and water for five days, creating unhygienic and unsanitary conditions.
For more information contact Ian Rintoul mob 0417 275 713
