Asylum Seekers on Nauru Say They're Going Hungry Despite $9 Million-a-Head Cost

Survey finds many held on Pacific island can't afford food or clean water even as Australia spends heavily on their detention

Most refugees and asylum seekers held on the Pacific island of Nauru say they cannot afford enough food or access clean drinking water, despite Australia spending the equivalent of more than $9 million per person on their detention last financial year, according to a new survey cited by the Guardian.

More than 100 people remain on Nauru indefinitely while their asylum claims are processed. Many told researchers they are skipping meals to get by, according to the survey, titled "Hungry for Freedom," conducted by the advocacy group Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

The findings highlight a stark contrast between the enormous cost of Australia's offshore processing regime and the material conditions of those held under it. Critics of the policy have long argued that Australia's approach to asylum seekers, which relies on detaining people on remote islands rather than processing them domestically, produces poor outcomes despite its high price tag.

The survey adds to years of scrutiny over conditions on Nauru, where asylum seekers have been sent under Australian policy for more than a decade as part of a system designed to deter people from attempting the sea journey to Australia.

— Compiled from reporting by the Guardian.