Senate Inquiry into offshore processing unearths damning testimony from people detained on Nauru

Media Release, Tuesday 5 May 2026

Maryam, who has lived through Australia’s offshore detention regime for more than a decade will give evidence to a Senate Inquiry today, as newly published submissions reveal shocking accounts of violence, hunger and fear in Australia’s offshore processing system in Nauru.

Maryam, who was first sent to Nauru in 2013 and then transferred to Australia in 2015 for medical treatment, will appear before the Inquiry between 11:45am and 12:45pm today, providing a rare opportunity for journalists to hear directly from someone impacted by the policy.

Her evidence comes as newly published submissions from people currently detained on Nauru expose systemic abuse, neglect and a complete breakdown in basic safety (see attachments to submission 125).

People have described being assaulted, robbed and threatened in the community in Nauru, with little to no protection. One person reported repeated attacks, saying: “I have no trust in the police, or the accommodation providers or anyone responsible for them. I have no confidence in the police at all.”

Others detail widespread hunger and deprivation, with people forced to skip meals because they cannot afford food. One person said: “The allowance we receive is not enough to cover our basic needs for food. Most days, we have to cut back on meals because we cannot afford enough to eat. It is heartbreaking to go to bed hungry..”

Submissions also describe people being approached for money and threatened or assaulted if they refuse, alongside daily verbal abuse and an ongoing climate of fear, along with substandard medical care impacting on their health. One submitter said “The treatment facilities are not good here. It’s not affordable to obtain the correct medications here. Without treatment, my condition worsens.”

The submissions show that basic services are failing, with frequent electricity outages leaving people without power or refrigeration, causing food to spoil and making it even harder to survive. A system that has been created and upheld by successive Governments over 14 years at a huge financial and human cost.

The submissions raise serious concerns about the use of Australian taxpayer funds, given the Albanese Government has allocated $581 million for offshore processing this financial year alone.

Across the testimonies of people currently detained in Nauru, people describe profound psychological harm and constant fear. People previously detained there have also provided evidence of long-term trauma, including witnessing self-harm and extreme distress in detention, with one person describing scenes so severe they continue to impact their mental and physical health years later.

Comments attributable to Jana Favero, Deputy CEO, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre:

“These submissions expose a system where people are being left hungry, unsafe and terrified, despite billions of dollars of Australian taxpayers’ money being spent. The Albanese Government continues to uphold a failed policy despite reams of evidence as to the harm and suffering over the past 14 years.”

“The consistency of these accounts is striking – from 14 years ago until today. People are describing violence, deprivation and fear again and again. They are describing substandard medical care and worsening physical and mental health. This appalling system is propped up by cruelty and has to end.”

“Australians want their money to go towards investment in healthcare, education and their communities, not hundreds of millions wasted on a system built to harm people. This policy is all about politics and punishment, and people can see it for what it is – a man made costly failure and a national shame.”