Mixed feelings as Save the Children leaves Nauru

Transcript

The head of Save the Children Australia says the end of its tenure on Nauru means there is no longer an agency to speak up for the rights of children in detention there.

The charity wound up its operations at the Australia-run asylum seeker detention centre on Saturday, after the Australian government granted the welfare contract to the multinational, Transfield Services.

The charity's tenure has been controversial, with Canberra last year deporting nine workers after they were accused of encouraging detainees to self harm and fabricate stories of abuse.

An independent inquiry later found no evidence of this.

The chief executive, Paul Ronalds, says they're leaving the island with mixed feelings.

PAUL RONALDS: On the first hand we're incredibly proud of what we've achieved, the education we've been able to deliver to asylum seekers and refugees, the support we've been able to provide to children, to pregnant women and others. On the other hand we are very concerned -- with Save the Children leaving it means there's even one less voice on Nauru to speak out for children and their families.  

JAMIE TAHANA: Who does look after the children now?

PR: Well for a number of weeks Save the Children has been working with Transfield, who are going to take over our welfare, educational and recreational services.

JT: Save the Children has been very outspoken with conditions children face on Nauru. Is there any of that kind of advocacy there now?

PR: That's our concern, Transfield is a for profit country, and obviously motivated by the need to deliver shareholder returns. Save the Children, as a human rights organisation, our mission is to look after and protect the human rights of children and their families. So with Save the Children now leaving Nauru we are very concerned that there is one less voice -- one significant less voice -- to speak out, which is one of the reasons we believe that a transparent and independent oversight mechanism is now needed now needed more than ever on Nauru.    

JT: And what kind of mechanism would this be and what's it needed for? What are the conditions on Nauru?

PR: The conditions are difficult. The physical conditions; it's obviously hot, many asylum seekers are living in tents, refugees are living in the community, but often in quite crowded accommodation. But it's not so much the physical conditions that is the real cause of harm, it's actually the sense of hopelessness. Whenever you take away peoples hope for a better future, it crushes peoples spirit, and that's the key source of harm that's being done on Nauru. But of course, a number of reports have now documented physical harm, sexual abuse and other issues. And so it is this sort of goings on that we need an independent oversight mechanism such as a properly funded ombudsman to take care of.

JT: Now Nauru's transitioned to an open centre arrangement and there are refugees living in the community, are these concerns just as valid or are things better?

PR: Well certainly things are better with an open processing centre. It is much better that refugees and asylum seekers are able to move freely on the island, that's an important step forward. But it doesn't change the underlying issue that all refugees face on Nauru and that is that they are living in limbo. They have an uncertain future and they can't actually start the rest of their lives, and until we have a sustainable solution for the refugees living on Nauru, they will continue to suffer significant harm, particularly mental harm.

JT: It looks like they're still no closer to that sustainable solution with talk now of sending refugees to Kyrgyzstan. What's your reaction to the way this is being handled?

PR: Well we have an opportunity, I believe. The boats have stopped coming to Australia and now it's the time to actually begin to work with our regional neighbours on a sustainable regional solution where we take away any incentive for people to get into boats and risk their lives by giving them proper care in transit countries and a sustainable long-term solution in a safe third country.

JT: In your tenure on Nauru, especially the past year or so, there has been an incredibly difficult relationship with the government, particularly last year when a number of your workers were sent back to Australia from Nauru. You're now seeking compensation from the government?

PR: We are talking to the government about obviously compensation for the staff who went through incredible stress and strain and as the Moss Report found, there was no basis for the allegations that were made against Save the Children staff. In fact, the Moss Report commented just how professional Save the Children staff were in incredibly difficult circumstances. So it's our view that compensation for staff and recompense for Save the Children's costs associated with defending them is only reasonable and just.

JT: There's been the police raids recently too, plus this. Do you feel that Save the Children has been unfairly targeted in any way?

PR: Well I suppose when the over main provider of services on Nauru for the Australian government is a large multinational, it is easier to target an organisation like Save the Children, or at least it might appear that way to the governments of Australia and Nauru. But as the Moss Report found, and as I have no doubt that will be found in relation to the most recent raids, Save the Children staff have worked in the most utmost professionalism at all times on Nauru and I remain extraordinarily proud of what they have achieved for a highly vulnerable group.

JT: Now things are winding up on Nauru, what future changes are needed or do we want to see done to safeguard child welfare?

PR: Well in the short-term the most important thing that we need on Nauru and Manus Island is transparent and independent oversight of the processing centres. The Australian public must know what is being done in their name with taxpayer funds. We need to improve the mandatory reporting of actions against children, we need to have an appropriately funded ombudsman who people can take allegations of abuse to and have confidence that they will be properly investigated. But in the long term, we need a lot more support for refugees and asylum seekers in transit countries, and we need to work with neighbouring countries to come up with a proper and genuine regional solution where Australia plays, in my view, a more constructive role in solving what is now an enormous global problem.