Happy Death-Birthday Dear REDACTED

Neon, 2020

In August 2016 The Guardian published The Nauru Files, leaked incident reports written by staff in Australia’s detention centre on Nauru between 2013 and 2015. This artwork illustrates one of the 2,116 separate incidents endured by asylum seekers and refugees in the care of the Australian Government:

Save the Children Australia caseworker [REDACTED] was walking through the volleyball area when he was stopped by [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] stated to caseworker that it is her birthday on Friday. She then stated “I want to die on my birthday”. Caseworker asked why and she replied ” it is not worth living here anymore”.