By Benjamin Millar
Inner-west doctors have joined the growing chorus calling for the government to remove all children and their families from Nauru.
Doctors from Footscray’s Eleanor Clinic have joined hundreds of colleagues from across Australia in writing to their local Federal MPs demanding an end to the stalemate that has left 52 young children, all recognised as genuine refugees, languishing on the remote Pacific island.
Australian Border Force says 652 refugees and asylum seekers, including 52 children and 107 family members, are on Nauru.
Eleven children have so far been brought to Australia in recent days for urgent medical treatment.
Eleanor Clinic GP Dr Antje Theilhaber said the Australian government must act now to bring all remaining children and their families to safety.
“There is no reliable medical care at all for children and adults there,” he said.
“At the moment the decisions on whether or not they are flown for care is overlooked by bureaucrats who don’t have any medical training.”
Dr Antje said it is a basic human right for every child to have a safe place and appropriate health care.
“I am a mum and every night I tuck my kids into bed and I know that they are safe,” she said.
“These children are in detention because their parents were so worried about their safety that they were just trying to get to a safe place; it’s a plight they would never choose to be in.”
Dr Antje, who migrated to Australia from Germany, said Australia’s regime of indefinite offshore detention has badly damaged its international reputation.
“When I go back to Europe people ask ‘what is Australian doing with these refugees?’, and I’m deeply ashamed. Australia is not doing itself any favours internationally.”
The political stalemate over the fate of the children could be nearing a breakthrough after Labor outlined a compromise plan that would enable the transfer of up to 150 people from Nauru to New Zealand.
Footscray-based Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has been pivotal in assisting children move from Nauru to Australia for medical treatment.
Chief executive Kon Karapanagiotidis said the critical situation on Nauru is well documented by organisations including the ASRC and Medicines Sans Frontiers’ (MSF).
He said children and their families cannot wait for case by case emergency transfers via legal intervention.
“The fate of children on Nauru now rests squarely with Prime Minister Morrison – he must act now to transfer children and their families to Australia immediately to safety for proper medical care,” he said.
“This is a humanitarian crisis that needs a solution above politics. Our parliament must provide that solution.”
