Another Horribly Burned Asylum Seeker Has Been Airlifted to a Brisbane Hospital

A young asylum seeker at the Australian detention centre on Nauru is in a critical condition after dousing herself with fuel and setting herself alight Monday afternoon. This incident comes just days after a 23-year-old Iranian man named Omid Masoumali died from self-immolation injuries after being airlifted from the island to a Brisbane hospital.

The victim this time is Hodan Yasin, a Somali woman, who has been labelled either 19 or 21 years old by conflicting media reports. Hodan was reportedly returned to Nauru just last week, after receiving medical treatment in Brisbane for injuries she sustained from a motorcycle accident early this year.

Now, authorities have confirmed Hodan has been airlifted from Nauru suffering critical injuries after setting herself on fire. She arrived at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Tuesday morning. Witnesses described her injuries as "much worse than Omid's," with her clothes completely disintegrated and severe burns covering her entire body.

Nauru's "self-harm epidemic" continues to attract fury from the international community, who have repeatedly criticised Australia's border protection policy. Several reports have emerged from both Nauru and Manus Island, describing how detaines frequently swallow washing powder, slash themselves with razors and broken glass, and attempt to hang themselves with bed sheets, fan cords, and even knitting wool.

When Omid Masoumali set himself alight last week, he announced his intentions to onlookers in a video received by Fairfax: "This is how tired we are, this action will prove how exhausted we are. I cannot take it anymore."

Ian Ritoul, spokesman for the Refugee Action Coalition, has described Nauru's environment as "toxic," and has called for Minister of Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton to bring remaining Nauru detainees to Australia.

"This is another self-harm attempt that is [Immigration Minister] Peter Dutton's responsibility," Mr Rintoul told The Sydney Morning Herald.

In the wake of Masoumali's death, Dutton released a video admitting that his department is aware of a growing number of incidents involving self-harm. He acknowledged the "desperate situation" many refugees find themselves in, but reiterated that Australia will not indulge detainees.

Dutton is yet to comment the latest incident of self-immolation.

This follows a tumultuous week for Australia's offshore processing regime, after Papua New Guinea's supreme court ruled the Manus Island detention centre unconstitutional and requested it be closed. Asylum seekers will potentially be able to $125,000 in compensation each for wrongful detention.

On Monday Greens immigration spokeswoman Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told the Sydney Morning Herald that the "situation on Nauru is spiralling dangerously out of control."

"This young woman has been driven to despair by her treatment on the island… Tragedy is unfolding on Nauru and we can't just stand by and watch."

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