The government of Nauru has reportedly blocked the medical evacuation of a mentally ill refugee, despite a court ordering that she must be brought to Australia for urgent treatment.
Nauru’s Secretary for Multicultural Affairs refused to allow the woman and her brother to be transferred to Australia via air ambulance because she was “just not convinced” it was a medical emergency, the ABC reported.
The Australian government is now working to have the woman, who suffers severe depression and trauma-related conditions, brought to Australia.
However, the delay has put the Australian government and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in breach of a Federal Court ruling, according to the ABC.
Dejan Lukic, a lawyer acting for the Home Affairs Minister, told the court it was an issue of diplomacy and international relations rather than Australian law.
"Technically the applicant … is on a temporary settlement visa that permits her to leave the country subject to the visa approvals of the receiving country that's why there's no obstacle to her leaving on a commercial flight," he told the court.
It’s understood arrangements have been made for the woman to be flown via a commercial flight on Friday to NSW for treatment.
