Australia must resettle Sri Lankan refugees immediately
- Published on 13/09/2007
©AFP/Tatyana Makeyeva
Having assessed the claims of 72 Sri Lankans, Australia found them to be in need of protection but wants this to be provided by another country, not by Australia. Seeking a third country for resettlement is an unnecessary and lengthy process and would see the refugees left in detention - a breach of our international human rights obligations.
Detaining refugees is a clear breach of Australia's international human rights obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
These refugees have already been left in limbo for eight months. We join the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in their call for these 72 refugees to be promptly resettled in Australia.
The Australian Government intercepted 83 Sri Lankans, who had set sail from Indonesia, in international waters in February. The group were originally held on Christmas Island, but later transferred to Nauru.
Two of the group had already been deemed refugees by UNHCR in Indonesia, yet they remain on Nauru. It appears these refugees have been detained on Nauru for eight months - a clear breach of human rights.
Amnesty International Australia is also extremely concerned about the welfare of the remaining seven Rohingya asylum seekers who have been in remote detention for more than one year.
These asylum seekers have been detained longer than the Sri Lankans yet there appears to have been no development in the processing of their applications. The situation in Myanmar has not improved and we are calling on the Australian Government to progress their applications immediately.
Refugees and asylum seekers face long term detention on Nauru where there is no time frame for processing and no independent monitoring system. Amnesty International Australia backs calls for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) to be permitted entry to the immigration detention facility.
The commission recently investigated conditions in detention centres throughout Australia, but was denied permission to visit Nauru.
This right is required under the 1986 HREOC Act, which gives the commission the mandate to investigate potential human rights violations. Without this access, the detention centre on Nauru is a black hole in terms of human rights.
Amnesty International has previously expressed its concerns with the lack of access for lawyers, friends, family, religious clergy and members of their community for those detained on Nauru. Without this access the Australian public cannot be confident that those on Nauru are being treated with the dignity and respect to which they are entitled.
For background information, read our previous reports:
- Australian Government has still not accepted responsibility - 1 March 2007.
- Human rights situation deteriorating on Nauru - 4 September 2007.
Comments
Comments are submitted by members of the public and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Amnesty International Australia. If you find a comment objectionable please contact the web editor.
it amazes me that we have such a wide range of dissatistaction with this Government and yet they get re-elected again and again.
comment by:
Leslie Suli
20/09/2007
06:58 PM
The Howard governments record on refugees is an international embarrassment to me and Australia. I am saddened by the ongoing treatment of refugees, and also by the apathy of the general community and main stream media to the issues.
comment by:
Peter
19/09/2007
07:32 PM
After writing letters today to leaders in Syria, China and Uganda, it is sadening and sickening to see atrocities still happening on my own doorstep because of the policies of my own government. How civilised are we really?
Australia’s record on the treatment of refugees brings shame to every citizen. It is a true measure of our humanity and reflects on each one of us. We need tochange our priorities.
comment by:
jean Hart
18/09/2007
05:40 PM
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