Behrouz Boochani: Refugee author granted asylum in New Zealand

BBC NEWS

July 24, 2020

A high-profile refugee who was detained by Australia for six years has been granted asylum in New Zealand.

asylum n. /əˈsaɪləm/（政治）庇护，避难 •to seek/apply for/be granted asylum 寻求╱申请╱获准政治避难；精神病院

high-ˈprofile adj. 高调的；备受瞩目的；知名度高的

Behrouz Boochani, an Iranian Kurd, has lived in Christchurch since fleeing Australia's island detention in 2019.

Iranian/ɪˈreɪniən/ adj. 伊朗的；伊朗人的；伊朗语的 n. 伊朗人；伊朗语

Kurd /kɜːd/ 库尔德人（主要居住在土耳其，伊朗，伊拉克）

He had initially sought asylum in Australia in 2013, arriving by boat, but was taken to Papua New Guinea under Australia's hardline asylum policy.

Papua New Guinea巴布亚新几内亚 Papua /'pæpjuə/  guinea n. /ˈɡɪni/

Hardline adj. 强硬的；不妥协的

There he became a leading voice for those detained and drew attention to their poor conditions in the camps.

His experiences - which he documented on Twitter and elsewhere - helped focus international attention on Australia's remote detention centres in the Pacific where asylum seekers can be held for an indefinite period of time.

More than 400 asylum seekers remain in Australia's two controversial offshore detention sites, located on PNG's Manus Island and the island nation of Nauru.

PNG巴布新几内亚的缩写Manus Island：马努斯岛 Manus /'meɪnəs/

Nauru /nɑːˈuːruː/ ：瑙鲁（西太平洋岛国，在赤道附近）

Speaking on Friday, Mr Boochani, now a published author and associate academic, said he finally felt relief and a sense of security about his future.

New Zealand had formally recognised his refugee status, offering him a one-year work visa and pathway to citizenship, he told the Guardian Australia newspaper.

However he said he "cannot fully celebrate" because "so many people who were incarcerated with me [on Manus Island] are still struggling to get freedom".

incarcerate  v. /ɪnˈkɑːsəreɪt/  ~ sb (in sth) ( formal ) to put sb in prison or in another place from which they cannot escape 监禁；关押；禁闭

How did Boochani get out?

A persecuted journalist in his homeland, Mr Boochani chronicled his life and events at the Manus detention centre on social media. In the first few years, he was one of the only voices from within the centre as Australia at first prevented journalists and rights advocates from visiting.

persecute /ˈpɜːsɪˌkjuːt/  V-T If someone is persecuted, they are treated cruelly and unfairly, often because of their race or beliefs. (因种族或信仰) 迫害

chroncle  /ˈkrɒnɪkl/ 1,把…载入编年史；按事件发生顺序记载；编年史

In 2018, he published a book, No Friend But The Mountains, which went on to win Australia's richest literary prize and other accolades. Because he was still imprisoned, he sent passages for the book to his publisher in Australia via WhatsApp.

accolade n. /ˈækəleɪd/  /ˌækəˈleɪd/  ( formal ) praise or an award for an achievement that people admire 赞扬；表扬；奖励；奖赏；荣誉

The book's success proved to be his ticket off the island: New Zealand granted him a month-long visa after he was invited to speak at literary festival in November 2019.

He has previously said his trip marked the first time he had tasted "freedom" in six years. There he lodged a claim for protection, which prevented Australian authorities from ordering his return to PNG.

lodge /lɒdʒ/ 我们常见的意思是小房子，乡间小屋和房子相关的含义。但还有差别比较大的含义~ (sth) (with sb) (against sb/sth) to make a formal statement about sth to a public organization or authority （向公共机构或当局）正式提出（声明等）

What are the detention centres like?

The Australian government has consistently defended its island detention and border protection policies - which only apply to asylum seekers who arrive by boat.

They say its policies are necessary to deter dangerous attempts to reach the country by sea.

deter v. /dɪˈtɜː(r)/  ~ sb (from sth/from doing sth) to make sb decide not to do sth or continue doing sth, especially by making them understand the difficulties and unpleasant results of their actions 制止；阻止；威慑；使不敢

However the conditions of the detention centres, and the policy itself - which allows for indefinite detainment as asylum claims are processed - have been condemned as "inhumane" by the United Nations' refugee agency and human rights groups.

During Mr Boochani's time at the camps, there were a series of violent incidents including a riot involving guards and refugees in 2014 where scores were injured and an asylum seeker killed.

Since 2014, at least 13 asylum seekers have died while in detention, including seven by known or suspected suicide.

In 2017, Australia paid A$70m (£39m; $49m) in compensation to 1,905 men - including Mr Boochani - after they brought a legal action saying they had suffered harm in the Manus Island centre. The government offered the payment but denied any wrongdoing.

New Zealand has also previously offered to resettle 150 refugees from Australia's island detention centres but this has been rejected by Canberra.

Canberra /ˈkænbərə/n. 堪培拉（澳大利亚的首都）