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Asylum seekers at Australia’s Pacific detention camps attempt suicide in wake of shock election result
- Around 800 would-be refugees had been praying for a Labor victory, which might have ended Canberra’s current detainment hardline policy
- But the surprise victory of Scott Morrison’s centre-right coalition dashed hopes and set off a wave of self-harm
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At least four refugees in Australia’s offshore Pacific camps have attempted suicide since the conservative government’s shock re-election on Saturday, according to refugees, advocates and police.
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Around 800 would-be refugees who tried to reach Australia have been sent to live in severe conditions on the remote islands of Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus under a hardline policy from Canberra.
Many had prayed for a more lenient policy from Labor, who had been strongly tipped to win.
But an unexpected victory by Scott Morrison’s centre-right coalition dashed hopes and set off a wave of self-harm, with a number of people being admitted to hospital.
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Prominent Kurdish author and asylum seeker Behrouz Boochani said in a tweet sent from one of the camps: “The situation in Manus is out of control, today two more people attempted suicide.”
Manus Provincial Police Commander David Yapu said that he was aware of at least 10 suicide attempts including four over the weekend.
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