Two Bangladeshi nationals who have been detained in Nauru for nearly a decade by Australian authorities, recently sewed their lips together in protest.

A five-hour plane journey to the northeast of Australia, Nauru is a small islandic nation. Australia has used Nauru since July 2013 to detain asylum seekers who travel to Australia by boat. Some are also sent to Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Manus Island. Almost all of them are told that they would never be allowed to settle in Australia.

About 150 refugees and asylum seekers are currently detained in Nauru and PNG by Australian authorities. They have little to no knowledge of when — or, if ever — they will be resettled.

The two Bangladeshi--Mohammad Shofiqul Islam and Mohammad Kaium, travelled separately to Australia from Bangladesh in 2013. Their boats were intercepted by the Australian navy and they were eventually sent to Nauru.

Mohammad Shofiqul Islam spoke to Al Jazeera for both himself and Mohammad Kaium via WhatsApp messaging service.

They are holding their protest near RPC1, the administrative hub for refugee services and security in Nauru.

"We are hunger strik[ing]," he wrote in a message.

"We closed our lips and we [have] stopped eating and drinking … we can't speak," Shofiqul Islam stated.

"We don't eat and don't drink until we get our medical treatment and freedom."

The situation in Nauru is "not safe", Shofiqul Islam said.

"In Nauru, people are treat[ing] us like we are animals — not human," he said.

"Here in Nauru, very poor medical treatment," he continued. "And we are not safe here. People … here, they don't like refugees. They hate us."

The abuse and neglect of detainees in Nauru have been described as "open-air prison" by rights group Amnesty International.

Mental health is also a serious issue for the detainees. Self-harm and even suicidal behaviour were reported among children held there. The last four of more than 200 children who were once detained on Nauru were resettled to the United States in 2019.

Of the two Bangladeshi asylum seekers, Shofiqul Islam has begun the process of applying for resettlement in the US under a 2016 resettlement arrangement between Canberra and Washington. Despite being engaged in the process for more than three years already Shofiqul down not know when he will be released.

He and Kaium, who is not in the resettlement process for the US, are desperate to get off the island and end their indefinite detention.

"We need medical treatment … freedom. We want justice," he wrote.

"Why we are 10 years in limbo without any crime? Our hearts are broke[n] now, we can't take anymore. Please help us to get our freedom."

A spokesperson for Australia's Home Affairs Department declined to comment on the cases of Shofiqul Islam and Kaium.

They told Al Jazeera that the government "remains committed to regional processing in Nauru" and that those detained on the island had access to medical services, including for mental health, with "mechanisms in place" to transfer those most in need to Australia or Taiwan.

Justifying cruelty

Australian government recently signed off on legislation giving it the legal power to continue processing asylum claims offshore and, effectively, solidifying detentions on Nauru.

Behrouz Boochani — an award-winning author, former refugee and political commentator — has accused the Australian Labor Party of "lying" about its reasons for utilising offshore processing.

Officially, the offshore detention of refugees and asylum seekers who arrive by boat to Australia is a mechanism for preventing people smuggling.

"But that is just something that they [use] to justify this cruelty," Behrouz, who was held for six years on Manus before finding refuge in New Zealand, said, explaining that both of Australia's major political parties, Labor and the centre-right Liberal Party, have created fear around asylum seekers arriving by boat and have used tough immigration policies to win votes.

"They hide themselves behind national security," Behrouz said. "Believe me, nothing will happen if they release [the refugees on Nauru]," he added.

A spokesperson for Australia's Home Affairs Department declined to comment on the cases of Shofiqul Islam and Kaium.

They told Al Jazeera that the government "remains committed to regional processing in Nauru" and that those detained on the island had access to medical services, including for mental health, with "mechanisms in place" to transfer those most in need to Australia or Taiwan.