Christmas Island
Jan 2011
150 UAMs at the moment. They have had no activities all summer holidays and are extremely bored.  Everyone wants to go back to school, it should start in about 3 weeks time. But there is no way that 150 will be going to school. They will have at the most 80 students (UAMs that is), there will be a waiting list. New UAMs asking can we go to school please.  At least one teacher is available and has offered services but no response.
At least one teacher is available and has offered services but no response.
 
Kids are very upset about the MOU (Afghanistan). DIAC has not spoken to them about the MOU there was no consultation. They heard about it on the internet and news. (With the suspension policy for Afghans they were told on the day.) But they haven’t been told personally this time.
 
A toy library has been set up as well and children are allowed to borrow one toy as long as they bring it back in order to swap it for another. Not allowed to keep toys. It’s a loan system. Unless we have ID numbers of each family we cannot give them toys.
 

Boys said that Serco had run out of accommodation and were using the education room to house people. Overcrowding is an ongoing issue. There is literally no room. The smuggling crew are in the same camp. That is a source of terrible tension. They are on different pathways and it has resulted in fights and riots. Heard that WA prisons are overcrowded so they have no choice to leave them on CI.

 
The boys believe there are at least 10 TVs in the camp. But B and C block where the UAMs are don’t have any TVs and DVDs. Even the Indonesians in A block have a tv set. Iranians and Hazaras don’t want to sit together to watch tv.   There are always tensions. There should be tvs in each block. Camp consists of A to E block so only 7 blocks. After someone complained Serco has advised that each block has a tv set but sometimes people remove them and take them to their rooms. So they are blaming the asylum seekers.
 

Support for UAMs on CI

UAMs don’t have much support on CI. It used to be Life Without Barriers, but I think they only sit in on interviews. I am not sure who they are supposed to talk to for support as there are only two teachers who go to visit. One boy has been in CI for 10 months. He does not know who his lawyer is. He did have a lawyer, then he won his indep review. But he does not know who this lawyer is now that was present for his IMR. Then he asked DIAC to speak with his lawyer. But nothing has happened. He has been found to be a refugee, but is waiting for a security check. So the processes are completely unclear. The kids don’t understand what steps they have to go through. Some tell supporters excitedly that they got their visa. Then you ask if they passed their RSA or you received a visa letter. They look at you blankly. Then you have to explain that you still have your security check to go through. They all are assigned a DIAC case officer. Some don’t even know who their case officers are.
 
 
Related articles

Heavy immigration detention centre security stays

Karlis Salna, Daily Telegraph, AAP, August 18, 2009

Many detention centres, including Christmas Island, have disproportionate and antiquated security measures, a federal parliamentary inquiry has found.

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/calls-for-overhaul-of-immigration-detention/story-e6frfku0-1225763236219#ixzz10EUDulia

 

Bring asylum seekers to mainland – Greens

AAP, Courier Mail, February 8, 2010

The Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said asylum seekers needed to be brought to the Australian mainland where they could be processed "quickly and humanely". http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/bring-asylum-seekers-to-mainland-greens/story-e6freonf-1225828037756

 

Child asylum seeker speaks of the horrors of offshore processing

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=420629063263

If you're willing to pay, Nauru can be amazingly accommodating

Paul Maley, The Australian, August 14, 2010

Paul Maley reveals astounding corruption in offshore processing of asylum seeker families.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/if-youre-willing-to-pay-nauru-can-be-amazingly-accommodating/story-fn59niix-1225904777974

 

Book refutes claims Nauru is a simple solution to asylum seekers

ABC Radio, August 16, 2010

Christmas Island, Nauru, East Timor, Indonesia and Malaysia have all have been offered as a panacea to Australia’s mortal fear of being flooded with asylum seekers. The Pacific Solution, a book about Nauru's detention centres, refutes the claims that it would be a simple task to re-open Nauru. The author Susan Metcalfe states: “Everything about Nauru is difficult, the phones go down all the time, there's water problems, there's power problems, there's significant difficulties in having this camp. Negotiations have to be had with landowners, where are women and children going to be housed, are they going to be in with the single men?”