A man shouts slogans against the Australian Labor Party (ALP) during a rally in support of asylum-seekers outside an ALP meeting in Sydney, July 22, 2013.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has censured Australiaâ„¢s arbitrary detention of 46 recognized refugees and asylum seekers.
“Australia’s indefinite detention of 46 recognized refugees on security grounds amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, inflicting serious psychological harm on them,” the UN Human Rights Committee said in a statement on Thursday.
It accused Australia of breaking global human rights rules by indefinitely arresting the refugees and denying them the chance to challenge their detention.
The committee said Canberra must compensate and release the group whom it has treated in a cruel, inhumane and degrading manner.
“The committee reached its conclusion based principally on the fact that the refugees were not told the reasons for the negative security assessment and so were unable to mount a legal challenge to their indefinite detention,” the statement added.
In the run-up to Australia’s September 7 elections, the issue of asylum seekers is at the center stage.
Last month, the government announced a controversial plan to send the country’s asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea. On July 19, Australiaâ„¢s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his Papua New Guinea counterpart, Peter Oâ„¢Neill, signed the Regional Settlement Arrangement in the Australian city of Brisbane in connection with the hardline policy.
Under the new policy, those who pay human smugglers to take them to Australia on illegal boats will be sent to Papua New Guinea.
The radical immigration policy, however, does not seem to be working. Hundreds of refugees have arrived since the directive was issued.
Australia has become a desired destination for Asian immigrants who are seeking a better life. But hundreds of them have lost their lives because their overcrowded boats were capsized in rough waters.
More than 15,000 asylum seekers have made the journey to Australia so far this year.
Hundreds of activists have held mass rallies in Sydney and other major cities to protest at the Australian government’s new harsh measures and opposition’s hard stance against asylum seekers.
JR/KA
Republished from: Press TV