Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 43:25 to 48:48
Senator Shoebridge questions officials about the transfer of women and children to Nauru for regional processing and their subsequent status.
Topics: National security, Human rights
Speakers: Senator David Shoebridge, Michael Thomas, Clare Sharp, Unknown Speaker, Stephanie Foster, Hon Murray Watt
Um I might just move on to Naru. Who's in a position to answer that?
>> Is that one here or outcome three? I've always
>> transfers to NARU
>> regional processing. Regional processing is now and then the third country reception arrangement because it relates to removals is outcome three.
>> Well, well, I'll ask the questions and tell me where they lie. um how many women have been transferred to NARU since September 2023 and how many children have been transferred in
>> So we'll give you here the numbers for regional processing.
>> We can cover the whole thing actually.
Uh, Senator, since September 2023, um, 10 females were taken to Nera for regional processing and less than five minors.
>> Less than five minors.
>> That's correct.
>> But some minors. >> Um, what were their ages at the time of
>> Um, I don't have that detail centered in front of me. They're less than, uh, sorry, younger than 18 years old. Um >> um but I could take that on notice to try and get you a more granular breakdown.
>> Um and and can you please provide a breakdown of how many have them been returned to their country of origin voluntarily or not?
>> Uh I can Senator. Yes, I'll take that on notice.
>> Do you have the number there?
>> Um there's currently no minors in Noer as of the 31st of August. Um I believe they all voluntarily returned home, but I will confirm that for you on notice.
So each of the 10 women and each of the
>> That's correct. I I do think there might be some that are in Australia for a temporary purpose. Um but I will again take that on notice for you to confirm
the exact number. In in July, the Asylum Seeker Resource Center released um research report called hungry for fe freedom, food deprivation among people seeking asylum on NARU, which found that 99% of people seeking asylum in the Naru community could not afford to purchase sufficient food with the limited financial support they have. Are you aware of that report?
>> I am, Senator. Yes.
>> Um it's right, isn't it? Um, Australia sends people to Naru and the people they send to Naru have chronic hunger. That that's that's part of the system, isn't
>> Senator? They're provided with an allowance >> [cough and clears throat] >> um that is calculated to ensure they have sufficient um financial means to provide necessities in Noer. Well, have you
undertaken any assessment since this transfers have have have ramped up and since the financial stipend has been set, have you undertaken any assessment of the adequacy of food and living conditions on people Australia is sent sending to Naru?
>> Senator, the um payment amount is reviewed annually and uh I recall the last review was around December last
year. um did it conclude that the payment was adequate and did they have access to um um people on NARU to determine whether or not they were going hungry like the asylum seeker research
>> My recollection is that that review resulted in an increase to the fortnightly payments. Um uh so it it did it essentially looks at you know effectively a bit like a CPI test. It looks at an average basket of goods um or or the goods someone needs to you know survive and food and and works out if the payment is sufficient once um other expenses are taken into
>> Mich can you please provide that review to the committee? Um and if there's a previous review, can you provide that previous review as well?
>> We can take that on notice.
Um, apart from the review, are there any other measures the department is taking to ensure people seeking asylum have access to enough food and um um and that the food is sufficiently nutritious?
>> That that review is our primary mechanism and
>> is there any secondary mechanism >> or tertiary mechanism? So the the
government of Noa supports the regional processing cohort in country. We provide that particular living allowance to support but they have other support mechanisms um including case managers as as they live in the community in the world at
>> you can't eat a case manager.
>> Correct. Senator
>> So what other support um at least it's unlawful. Um what other support is there available? uh the the
the transitory people do not pay rent, utilities, health care costs um or school fees. So all of that is provided for them.
>> Um apart from this report, you said that was the primary method that Australia uses to determine if there's sufficient food for people on NARU sent there by Australia. I was asking you if there was any other method and if the answer is there is no other method to determine it, then that's a simple way forward.
I'm not aware of any other method, but I'll take on notice to confirm that.