Inhuman treatment to end for Sri Lankan refugees
15 January 2008, 01:59PM
© AFP
The announcement that 75 Sri Lankan men - who have been held at the remote offshore detention centre on Nauru since February - have been accepted as genuine refugees and will be resettled in Australia is great news.
These men fled persecution and human rights abuses in their homeland, they have been found to be refugees and they are entitled to our protection. We welcome the decision to grant these men refugee status and to bring them to Australia - it reaffirms the Australian Government's commitment to human rights principles.
Australia is a signatory to the international Refugee Convention and this decision shows the world that it is living up to its obligations.
The 75 men - 21 of who are reportedly arriving in Australia on 15 January - are among 83 Sri Lankans on Nauru waiting for asylum in Australia. The Sri Lankans are the only people still housed at the detention centre on Nauru.
Another six of the group have reportedly had rape charges against them dropped and are waiting to have their applications finalised. Another man's application was rejected and he is appealing against the decision, while the remaining Sri Lankan is in hospital in Perth, Australia.
These men should never have been taken to Nauru in the first place. The psychological damage caused to those detained for long periods of time on Nauru is well documented. It's important these men are given our protection and help to ensure they do not suffer any lasting damage.
We hope this move signals an end to Australia’s offshore processing of asylum seekers, and we hope it sends a signal to other governments that such practices are unacceptable and a breach of human rights principles.
Read our blog about their case.
For more information on our campaign about the human rights of refugees click here.
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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.
maryellen flynn
28 January 2008, 10:09PM
it is certainly great news about the resettlement of these 75 men. everybody deserves to live in a decent country good on you minister for Immigration.
kevin griffith
27 January 2008, 08:07AM
I believe that offshore processing and taking a long time to process is deliberate perversion of Australia’s commitments and obligations. Stop it now and behaviour in true compassion and justice Australia!
Jane Robertson
24 January 2008, 11:49PM
Without a change in government I am sure these refugees would have been left for dead as they were heartless and cold to humanity, it gave me an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach, what shame on Australia it has been. Now hopefully I can feel proud of being Australian again I am so heartened that the Labour government has made changes to this inhumane practice of offshore detention and all that entails. Each human being deserves a fair assessment process and that TPV’s be abolished for the pain they cause and a clear, just decision be made, not a political game with human lives.
cathie Bond
24 January 2008, 09:17PM
Great news about the Sri Lankan and Burmese asylum seekers.
We are waiting for Permanent Visas for those traumatised people who came here in 2001, and were in Immigration detention for many years .
They still wait in limbo on TPV,s.
They deserve their Permanent Protection Visas immediately, as promised by Labor before the election.
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