One of those people is Dr Geraldine Duncan, the convenor of the city’s Refugee Health Assessment Clinic.

In her role she provides medical assistance to refugees and asylum seekers settling in Wagga.

Many patients have experienced torture, sexual assault or have suffered at the hands of violence.

They are also often dealing with the severe mental trauma of losing sons, daughters, sisters, brothers or other relatives back home.

“The current political debate is concerning,” Dr Duncan said.

“I understand we can’t take all the world’s problems but the objectification of people in politics at the moment is troubling.

“The political debate needs to be more humane.

“I’m deeply concerned about the wellbeing of asylum seekers coming into Wagga; they are largely from Afghanistan and Iran.

“They are single men who are very worried, anxious and depressed and dealing with trauma.

“One man came into the clinic and he had only just heard his 13-year-old son was killed by a bomb in Pakistan.

“He came into the clinic and burst into tears.”

This week Kevin Rudd announced asylum seekers would now be sent to Papua New Guinea.

Dr Duncan said to look at the country’s track record. 

Some issues the nation faces include gang rape, serious crime, cholera and poverty.

She said there needed to be a regional solution where countries came to the table and worked to fix the problem collectively.

“There is no easy solution, I’m not pretending there is,” she said.

Frank Jafoi was living in a refugee camp in Guinea, Africa, before he was able to move to Wagga.

“You’d just try to survive because the basic necessities needed for human life were not there,” he said.

“The people expected to protect us were exploiting us.

“Women were being used; forced to give sex for rations.”

Mr Jafoi, who works at Centacare Catholic Family Services, said asylum seekers acted out of desperation.

John Moi was an urban refugee in Uganda before he was able to move to Wagga in 2006.

He said there were riots because people were deprived of basic necessities required to live and he witnessed people clubbed to death.

“I’ve been given a second chance at life,” he said.

“I think when you look at it, at the base of it all is the suffering of human beings.

“Personally, I feel bad for the simple fact the whole situation is compounded by people smugglers.

“How could you benefit or profit out of the misery of a person?”