The mother of an 11-year-old Iranian refugee on Nauru, who has had a broken arm for a month, has told the ABC her son will be flown to India rather than Australia for medical treatment.
This morning, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton disputed the statement, saying there were no such plans.
But the mother said she had received a phone call telling her plans were being made for her family to be sent to India.
Erfan Paridari’s mother said her son suffered the injury after falling off his bike last month.
He received treatment at the local hospital, but staff there did not set the bones in his arm properly.
His mother said he had been in constant pain ever since, and needed urgent surgery or he risked permanent disability.
She said the exact timing of the move was yet to be confirmed as documents needed to be arranged to allow them to travel.
The Refugee Action Coalition’s Ian Rintoul was also in contact with the family, and said the lack of detail was worrying.
“They just got a bare message that they’ll have to wait for the travel documents to India,” Mr Rintoul said.
“It doesn’t really settle any of the immediate questions — why there should be a continued delay to go to India, what kind of treatment they’re actually going to get in India, where they’re going to be treated, what arrangements are being made for post-operative care and rehabilitation.”
Mr Rintoul said the timing of the travel plans was suspicious, particularly if the Australian Government was behind the decision.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt it’s been the publicity and the pressure on [Immigration Minister] Peter Dutton that something urgently needs to be done to ensure that Erfan’s not permanently disabled,” he said.
“I think we’ve just got a whole piece of avoidance strategy by Peter Dutton, embarrassed into actually having to do something about the boy’s broken arm, but ensuring or trying to ensure at least that Australia is not involved.
“Erfan could have been brought to Australia yesterday … He should have been brought two weeks ago when it became evident that the bones were not properly set, were misaligned.
“But because he is a refugee and not an asylum seeker, the Government refused to take responsibility.”
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said if the claims were true, it was incomprehensible.
“If this is the case, the Government really needs to clarify,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“You couldn’t make this stuff up, what on earth is going on?
“This is a family who are found to be refugees, they are genuine refugees, they’ve been dumped on Nauru by this Government, the boy needs medical assistance — just bring him to Australia and let him be relieved from the suffering of a broken arm.”
Senator Hanson-Young said Australian taxpayers would be left to foot the bill if the transfer went ahead.
“If it’s true, it’s just total madness,” she said.
“You’ve got to wonder how much it’s costing the Australian taxpayer, because of course the deal that Australia has with Nauru is that all costs of those that are found to be genuine refugees left on Nauru, the Australian Government has to foot the bill.
“I’ve never heard of this happening before.”