<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/03/refugees-and-asylum-seekers-on-nauru-going-hungry-despite-government-spending-15m-a-year-for-each-person>
"Refugees and asylum seekers held on Nauru claim they can’t afford to eat and
are forced to skip meals. Their plight comes despite Australia spending $1.5m
per person for a US prisons operator to house them, although the contract does
not provide food.
One asylum seeker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed he often
skipped meals to make his fortnightly stipend of $230 from Australia’s home
affairs department last.
“We didn’t know coming to Australia was a crime. We are being killed every day
from lack of access to food,” they said.
“We only can plead with the Australian government and people to please remove
us from this place as soon as possible. We are unable to survive.”
Another asylum seeker claimed he didn’t buy vegetables and fruit because the
cost is so high on the tiny Pacific island – which imports most of its produce.
“My health is not good … every day I feel I’m dying … most of the time I think
my life has no meaning,” they said.
The US operator, MTC Australia, began its new $364m contract extension to
provide “facilities, garrison, and reception services” on Wednesday. It brings
the company’s earnings from running Australia’s sole remaining offshore
processing regime to $786m. The contract does not cover the provision of food
or work.
MTC Australia is a subsidiary of the Management and Training Corporation, one
of the largest for-profit prisons operators in the US."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
