The insane itinerary of an asylum seeker from one end of the country to the other – Edition du soir Ouest France

As he was about to receive treatment, a man with a serious mental disorder was transferred on September 19 by the Australian Border Police to the other side of the country … before having to make the return trip, one month later. This is what the Guardian Australia, recounting the foolish itinerary of this young man who flew 5,400 kilometers by plane, and was admitted no less than six times to hospitals between and out.

As far as the newspaper is aware, no reason has been given to justify this transfer by the border police. The asylum seeker was expelled from the Melbourne Detention Center without notice and without consultation with health professionals. And that even when a bed had just been assigned to him in a psychiatric institution in the city to take charge.

From detention centers to hospitals, and vice versa

The asylum seeker was placed on a commercial flight from the main Australian airline, Qantas, to Perth in the east of the country. A journey of 2,700 kilometers, which made him cross Australia.

After arriving in Perth, he was sent to the Yongah Hill Detention Center. For one month, he will be admitted to six hospitals in Washington state six times. In one of them, the doctors explained that they could not take care of him, and that he had to go back to Melbourne to receive the care he needed. But it was at the detention center that he was dismissed after this consultation.

Three weeks later, the young man was finally repatriated by plane to Melbourne. He will spend another week in detention, before being admitted to the psychiatric hospital that was to receive him initially.

Responsibility of the airline questioned

In addition to the obvious problem of the medical care of this asylum seeker, the responsibility of the airline Qantas is pointed out. "They force me away ", would indeed have alerted the young man when he arrived on the plane.

In August, a human rights group questioned the company, pointing out that the company was not obliged to make these transfers on behalf of the Australian government. On the eve of the flight that sent the young man with a psychiatric disorder out of Melbourne, Qantas claimed that she "Would not remain silent on social issues ".

"These are very complex and moving questions, but this is'is not up to the airlines to decide who should or should not stay in Australia after the government and the courts have made their decisions ", commented a spokesman for the company after the media coverage of this case.