By Michael Gordon
- Nauru government says 600 refugee claims to be processed in a week
- Refugee boy allegedly attackedon Nauru asks, 'what kind of people are these?'
Two welcome developments do not change the grim reality for hundreds of people who sought refuge in Australia but are being warehoused indefinitely on the poor, tiny and sweltering island of Nauru.
The first is that the detention centre that independent agencies assert has operated in breach of international law will now run as an open facility, where inmates are free to come and go as they please.
The second is that 600 asylum seekers who have been waiting more than two years for their protection claims to be decided will have an answer this week.
But a host of logistical questions remain unanswered, including how those afforded refugee status will be housed on an island that has struggled to safely accommodate or employ those already released.
Asylum seekers during recreational time at Nauru detention centre.Credit: Angela Wylie
The most likely answer is that most will continue to live in the centre, with little or no capacity to rebuild their lives, give their children a future or reunite with other family members.
The Nauruan government insists it is up to the challenge, with a dramatic increase in the number of community liaison officers who are tasked to help the refugees integrate into the community.
But how can we tell? Until the government is willing to allow independent observers to report on the situation on the ground, it is simply impossible to say whether this confidence is well-founded.
The deeper truth is not addressed by either positive development. It is that those on Nauru remain in limbo, unable to leave but denied the rights of citizenship or those that should come with refugee status. For them, the only change is that the size of the detention centre has expanded.
At some point, whether the trigger is action in the courts or pressure from the public, the Turnbull government will recognise that their situation, like that of those held on Manus Island, is simply not sustainable. Or defendable.