The Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT) supports the call of the kidsoffnauru campaign to
- Bring children and their immediate families to Australia urgently; and
- Settle those children and their immediate families in Australia or in a suitable other country.
These requests are consistent with FASSTT’s “Statement regarding the situation of people seeking asylum who were transferred by Australia to Nauru and Papua New Guinea” on 7 November 2017. That statement affirmed that there was indisputable evidence of significant physical and mental harm, and called on the Australian Government to act promptly to alleviate the plight of affected people.
That statement also noted that while implementation of the agreement between Australia and the USA to resettle people found to be refugees was welcome, other options including settlement in Australia were urgently required.
It is clear that the option of settlement, as called for by the kidsoffnauru campaign, has to be implemented and that this process should begin immediately.
FASSTT is a network of Australia’s eight specialist rehabilitation agencies that work with survivors of torture and trauma who have come to Australia from overseas. Most clients of FASSTT agencies have come to Australia as refugees or humanitarian entrants. There is one FASSTT member agency in each state and territory of Australia.
