nauru Asylum Seekers Face Hunger Amidst $1.5 Million Per Person Australian Spending
Table of Contents
Despite australia spending an estimated $1.5 million annually per person to house asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru, individuals are reporting they cannot afford adequate food and are being forced to skip meals. The crisis highlights a stark disconnect between the financial investment and the basic needs of those held in offshore processing, raising questions about transparency and accountability in the program.
The situation, as described by multiple asylum seekers to Guardian Australia, is characterized by severe food insecurity and a lack of adequate support. The high cost of living on the remote Pacific island, which relies heavily on imports for its produce, exacerbates the problem. One asylum seeker reported avoiding fruits and vegetables altogether due to their prohibitive price. “My health is not good… every day I feel I’m dying… most of the time I think my life has no meaning,” they shared, detailing the physical and psychological toll of food insecurity.
MTC Australia Contract Under Scrutiny
The Australian government’s contract with MTC Australia, a subsidiary of a large US-based for-profit prison operator, has come under increased scrutiny. Beginning Wednesday, MTC Australia is operating under a $364 million contract extension to provide “facilities, garrison, and reception services,” bringing the company’s total earnings from the offshore processing regime to $786 million. Critically, the contract explicitly excludes the provision of food or employment opportunities.
Currently, 105 men are held on Nauru, with 90 residing in the community and 15 within the regional processing center. The financial commitment of $1.5 million per person annually has fueled criticism, particularly as basic necessities are not included in the agreement.
Reports of Assault and Lack of Support
Beyond food insecurity, asylum seekers are facing other challenges. One individual reported being assaulted three times while employed on the island and subsequently forced to quit his job. Despite receiving the $230 AUD stipend, he found it insufficient to cover basic needs. “$230 a fortnight is not enough to survive. I can’t work any more because I got assaulted at work. If I could work, I’d be able to afford more food. I’m eating less,” he explained.
He further alleged that Nauru police offered no assistance when he was repeatedly attacked. “The [perpetrators]… just kept hitting me, they said ‘you can even call the police but we’ll keep hitting you’. The problem is that if you defend yourself, you’ll end up in jail.” He filed a formal complaint with Nauru authorities, but was reportedly told his only option was to return to his country of origin – a country he fled due to fear of persecution. “Coming from another country to Nauru without safety,work and food is punishing,” he stated.
It is meaningful to note that there are no allegations of involvement by MTC australia in the assault.
Government Response and Calls for Accountability
Guardian Australia reached out to both the Australian Department of Home Affairs and MTC australia for comment. MTC Australia deferred inquiries to the department, which did not respond prior to publication.
The parent company of MTC Australia has faced previous allegations of “gross negligence” and security failures in US facilities, including a $5.2 million settlement in 2019 related to a bribery scandal. The repeated extensions and expansion of the Nauru contract without competitive bidding or public oversight have drawn criticism from parliamentarians and government integrity experts, who have described the process as “gross mismanagement” and “run out of control.”
Jana Favero,deputy chief executive of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre,accused the government of “breathtaking negligence” in its handling of offshore processing contracts. “While the Albanese government recklessly spends hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in secret, with zero accountability or transparency, [the] peopel seeking asylum they have sent to Nauru are going hungry because their allowance is too small to buy enough food,” Favero said. “Australians should be outraged at this disgraceful cruelty and waste.”
