Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia — A protest in an Australian refugee detention center escalated today with asylum seekers poisoning themselves and a hunger strike spreading to a second camp.
A key immigration adviser resigned to protest the government’s refugee policy, and opponents of the government’s handling of refugees called for United Nations intervention.
At least seven refugees at the Woomera detention center were hospitalized overnight after drinking detergent. They were in good condition this morning, health authorities said.
More than 200 people at the center have been on a hunger strike for eight days, and dozens have sewn their lips together.
Refugee advocates said the hunger strike had spread from Woomera, a former missile testing base in the desert of southern Australia, to Maribyrnong, a refugee center in the southern city of Melbourne.
At least 35 detainees there have now begun a hunger strike, Refugee Action Collective spokeswoman Judy McVey said.
After weathering a storm of international criticism last year for turning away illegal immigrants, Australia is under renewed pressure over its immigration policy. Thousands of refugees — including children — are forced to wait up to three years in detention centers while their asylum applications are considered.
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