Asylum seeker mental health at stake
An offshore processing bill went to the senate today after the House of Representatives passed the change yesterday, meaning asylum seekers will spend more time in camps. The government says this process will work better than current immigration policies – but what does this mean for the state of asylum seeker mental health?
Offshore processing of asylum seekers to Nauru and Manus Island is expected to take off within weeks as the House of Representatives passed Migration Act changes yesterday and the Senate is expected to pass the bill today with the government and the coalition siding together. They are clearly sending a message to people smugglers that Australia’s borders are closed, but the real issue seems to lie with the impacts that longer timing in camps will have on the mental health of asylum seekers.