Hassan al-Kontar: Who is the man trapped in an airport helping now?
Hassan al-Kontar became known around the world as"the man from the airport" after spending months living in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He was granted asylum in Canada last year and now hopes to help 200 refugees also in limbo to resettle in a new home.
The newly launched endeavour - dubbed Operation Not Forgotten - has been endorsed by the Refugee Council of Australia and Amnesty International. Canberra has steadfastly ruled out ever letting those people settle in Australia, even those found to be refugees. Though no longer officially in detention, the asylum seekers are now effectively in indefinite limbo in transit centres - contributing, experts say, to high levels of self-harm.Some refugees have been resettled in the US under a one-off deal, but about 800 people remain on the islands, said Human Rights Watch last month. Most have been there since 2013.
She told the BBC she was telling her daughter one evening about the"desperate situation" for those on Manus Island and Nauru last May. The organisations behind Operation Not Forgotten will raise the funds to sponsor and support the refugees for their first year in Canada, and are training volunteer settlement teams to provide the necessary support for them when they arrive.
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