Australia spent more than $9m for each asylum seeker held on Nauru last year – so why can’t they afford to buy food?

Australia spent the equivalent of more than $9 million for each asylum seeker held on Nauru last financial year, yet many people in the Pacific island’s detention centres say they still cannot afford enough food or access clean drinking water, according to a new survey reported in a monitored public feed.

The report says more than 100 people are currently awaiting the processing of asylum claims on Nauru, where they have been sent indefinitely while their cases remain unresolved. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, an advocacy group, surveyed the cohort and found that many respondents said they were skipping meals to stretch their limited resources.

The findings highlight a stark gap between the amount of public money being directed to offshore processing and the day-to-day conditions experienced by those held there. According to the feed summary, the survey describes people struggling not only with food insecurity but also with access to safe drinking water.

Nauru has long been part of Australia’s offshore processing arrangement for asylum seekers, but the latest report raises fresh questions about how basic needs are being met inside the system. The survey results suggest that even with substantial government spending, some detainees remain unable to secure adequate nutrition.

The report is based on a monitored public feed and draws on information first published by The Guardian World, which cited the ASRC survey and the situation of those still waiting on Nauru. Source attribution is included below.

Source: The Guardian World - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/20/nauru-asylum-seeker-living-conditions-food-allowance-offshore-processing