Taiwan loses first ally post-election as Nauru goes over to China
Sydney, Australia/Taipei, Taiwan Reuters Nauru will sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognise China, the government of the small Pacific Islands nation said on Monday, marking Taipei’s first diplomatic ally to switch to Beijing following a presidential election. The Nauru Government said that “in the best interests” of the country and its people it was […]
Australia to stop controversial practice of asylum seeker detentions in PNG
Canberra, AustraliaReuters Australia will stop detaining asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea at the end of December, the two countries said on Wednesday, as Canberra shuts one of two remote Pacific detention centres that have been criticised by the United Nations. Under Australia’s hardline immigration policies, asylum seekers attempting to reach the country by boat […]
Australian Christian NGOs welcome news last children will be removed from Nauru
Christians advocating for children to be removed from Nauru – where they have been held under the Australian Government’s immigration policies – have welcomed news that the final four children and their families are leaving the Pacific Ocean island. Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the annoucement on Sunday morning, saying all four chidlren and their […]
MSF ends mental health care on Nauru on government orders
Thomson Reuters Foundation Medecins Sans Frontieres has pulled its mental health workers off Nauru on government orders, the medical charity said on Wednesday, calling the situation of asylum seekers and refugees on the Pacific island “beyond desperate”. MSF said international staff had left Nauru, where it was providing mental health care to locals, refugees and […]
Refugees on Nauru plead for resettlement as regional leaders meet
Thomson Reuters Foundation Children detained by Australia on the Pacific island of Nauru are suffering mentally and some attempting suicide, according to human rights groups and refugees who appealed to a regional leaders meeting on Wednesday to resettle them elsewhere. Australia sends people intercepted at sea while trying to reach its shores to offshore centres […]
Sixty per cent of Australians unaware refugee children detained on Nauru, poll finds
Six out of 10 Australians are unaware that refugee children are being detained on Nauru, according to a new poll. The poll was commissioned by World Vision Australia which is among a coalition of humanitarian and refugee advocacy groups which recently launched a campaign, #KidsOffNauru, to have the more than 110 children on the island […]
New Zealand PM repeats offer to take refugees held by Australia
Thomson Reuters Foundation New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday again offered to resettle 150 asylum seekers sent by Australia to offshore camps, including one in Nauru, a Pacific island nation where leaders from both countries are set to meet next month. Australia declined New Zealand’s offer last November to take asylum seekers sent […]
ESSAY: IT’S TIME TO GET #KIDSOFFNAURU
In an edited version of a speech presented at the Tasmanian Prayer Breakfast this week, CLAIRE ROGERS, CEO of World Vision Australia, talks about a new campaign – #KidsOffNauru – in which more than 30 organisations are demanding all children on Nauru be removed by 20th November…
ESSAY: WHY WE SHOULD BRING THE ASYLUM SEEKERS ON MANUS AND NAURU TO AUSTRALIA
After four years of Australia’s offshore asylum seeker detention program, SUSAN ANDERSON, of World Vision Australia, says it’s high time those being held on Manus Island and Nauru were brought to Australia…
More than 70 organisations and community groups call for an end to Australia’s offshore detention policy
Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, World Vision Australia and the Refugee Council of Australia are among more than 70 organisations and community groups which have signed an open letter calling upon the Australian Government to end it’s policy of offshore detention for asylum seekers and refugees. Released on the weekend, the letter says that that situation regarding […]