Asylum seeker's suicide attempt a warning for MPs

[Happy]

From ABC August 9, 2006

The migration agent for a mentally ill detainee says her client's case should send a message to MPs who are considering the Federal Government's asylum seeker Bill.
The African man, known as 'Jack', is recovering in Adelaide's Glenside Hospital after trying to hang himself at the Baxter Detention Centre at the weekend.
His migration agent, Libby Hogarth, says the detention system is putting detainees at risk.
"I think there's a lot of concerns about why he could've got to that stage, and whether any others will get to that stage, and it just again reflects on the unsuitability of long term detention," she said.
"If people get to the stage of wanting to commit suicide in a detention facility in Australia, it begs us to ask lots of questions about what's going to happen if they're all left on Nauru where they don't have access to their migration agents or lawyers, they don't have access to really quick and good psychiatric care."

I don’t want to sound heartless, but this is intimidation high note.

Imagine if somebody went to demand a job, loan, then attempted to commit suicide.

Probably loan is not the best example, as anybody can get loan these days.

 

[Bobby]

I don’t want to sound heartless, but this is intimidation high note.

Imagine if somebody went to demand a job, loan, then attempted to commit suicide.

Probably loan is not the best example, as anybody can get loan these days.

Yes happy our welfare & hospital systems are stretched now, what gets me is these people cross through many countries to get here to then claim asylum



Bob.

 

[juddy]

How does that compare to the general population? A recent UK survey showed 4% of the surveyed sample had attempted suicide at some stage.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1892774.stm

Must be better to live in detention than in the UK.

 

[Realist]

Must be better to live in detention than in the UK.

Agreed.

 

[Julia]

For similar reasons we have a high rate of recidivism in criminal behaviour.
In jail, offenders have reasonable and usually semi private accommodation, their own toilet and handbasin, three meals a day provided, onsite healthcare and dental care, and get paid $30 p.w. cigarette money.

Not too surprising they often reoffend after being released. Much harder to cope on the outside.

Julia