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Two-year-old's death highlights controversial policy

The Australian government yesterday defended its policy of contracting out refugee services to private companies after a chronically ill African child died within hours of his family's arrival in Sydney.

The seven-member Burundian family of two-year-old Richard Niyonsaba left a Kenyan refugee camp last month and was settled in a Sydney apartment by a case worker employed by private company Australian Center for Languages (ACL).

He died only 18 hours after arriving in the apartment of an already diagnosed condition, chronic sickle cell anemia, a hereditary blood disorder which typically strikes people of African descent.

The ACL employee and the family differ on the circumstances of what happened.

Richard's father, Protais Niyonsaba, said he was told to call an emergency number if medical help was required but he spoke no English and had never used a telephone before.

ACL managing director Helen Zimmerman said an offer to take the family for immediate medical exams on arrival in Sydney was refused because the father said they were tired after their long flight.

ACL, which won the contract to provide refugee care in October, has hired a lawyer to investigate the incident.

The immigration department and state police were also investigating.

Acting Immigration Minister John Cobb said contracting government services for refugees to the private sector ensured higher standards.

"They're certainly looking after the family; the case worker involved ... spoke their own language, he took them to their home, he spent a lot of time with them," Cobb told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio.

But critics argue that private operators put profits ahead of providing services.

Labor and other opposition parties have called for an inquiry into the policy of outsourcing refugee services.
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