Asylum Seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran Cry as Indonesian Officers Force Them to Leave the Australian Vessel Hermia
IN PHOTO: Asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran cry as Indonesian officers force them to leave the Australian vessel Hermia docked at Indah Kiat port in Merak, Indonesia's Banten province in this April 9, 2012 file photo. REUTERS/Aulia Pratama

Australia has suspended eight security guards from the asylum seeker detention centre in Nauru Island after they posted anti-Islamic messages on social media. The Nauru guards will be facing an investigation about the incident.

The guards are employed by Wilson Security as part of an emergency response team on Nauru. Seven of the guards are former Australian Defence personnel. David Jamieson, the spokesperson for Transfield Services, the company that engages Wilson Security staff as subcontractors, said the posts of the guards on Facebook were “totally unacceptable” and would be investigated thoroughly.

The staff at Nauru are expected to act appropriately and with integrity in dealing with people under their care, according to a spokesman for the Immigration Department. “Inappropriate use of social media channels will not be tolerated, particularly if it involves offensive material,” he said.

In photos posted on Facebook, two of the guards wore shirts with the message proclaiming them as “Australian infidel.” The Guardian reports that another guard, Harley Levanic, had uploaded an image of himself on social media showing off his new tattoo on the neck declaring himself an infidel.

When the emergency response team was recruited, one of the job requirements was being culturally sensitive. Jamieson said the appointment of the emergency security team required the acceptance of diversity and different cultures.

Greens party immigration spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the government should assess the training of security staff in detention centres. She urged the government to take responsibility for the guards’ actions, reports SMH.

The controversy surrounding the Nauru guards follows the Abbott government’s decision to push through with the Migration Amendment Bill. If the legislation is passed, it will give broader powers to security staff in dealing with asylum seekers in detention. The Australian government said the increasing number of incidents in detention centres prompted a greater scope for force.

The incidents include the riot inside the Manus Island detention centre in 2014 in which Reza Berati, an Iranian detainee, was beaten to death by the guards. Previous reports have indicated that two men from Papua New Guinea will stand trial for the murder.

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