A test of our humanity

Last week UK newspapers carried reports from the Greek island of Kos, with anguished British tourists complaining about their holidays being spoilt by Syrian refugees fleeing to the island and declaring they would go elsewhere for their summer break next year. If the reaction from these holidaymakers has you wondering about our compassion, the Australian government’s response to the migrant crisis makes for grim reading.

As part of Australia’s “stop the boats” policy, people arriving by boat in Australian waters are moved to offshore immigration detention centres on Pacific islands. Healthcare workers have described conditions in these centres as “appalling,” with reports of substandard medical care, abuse of children, and unhygienic accommodation. As Michael Woodhead reports from Sydney this week (doi: …