Countries criticise Australia’s border control policies at UNHRC forum
At the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) forum in Geneva on Monday, the member countries showed their concern over Australia’s treatment of the refugees in its offshore detention centres and on the high seas.
The disturbances observed on Christmas Island, Nauru and Manus Island were the main points of discussion on Australia’s refugee control policies. The asylum seekers, which include children, have been detained on the Island and were allegedly not being treated properly.
The death of a Kurdish Iranian asylum seeker who attempted to escape from the Christmas Island’s immigration detention centre has brought the treatment of refugees by Australians into limelight. In addition, the statement from one of the detained refugees that declared the death to be suspicious fired the discussion. According to him, the officers from Serco, the management contractor of the centre, were responsible for the refugee’s death.
Australia’s representative at the form, MP Philip Ruddock, said that keeping the refugees in overseas detention centres and turning the boats back were necessary to save lives. The human rights policies of the nation were reviewed by the UN at the Palais des Nations in Geneva the same day. During the review, representatives from around 100 participating countries, including France, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Bangladesh, Turkey, Sweden, Iran, Switzerland, North Korea and Rwanda, have criticised the behaviour of Australia towards the asylum seekers. They recommended alternatives to the detention centres.
The U.S. delegation asked Australia to monitor its offshore processing of asylum seekers. “We encourage Australia to enter humane treatment and respect for the human rights of asylum seekers, including those processed offshore in Papua New Guinea and Nauru,” the ABC quoted a U.S. representative as saying.
The U.K. urged Australia’ Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights to keep a watch on the nation to find out whether it works in accordance with the Un human rights recommendations.
Turkey delegates indicated their concern, saying the nation is worried about Australia’s treatment of the refugees, mostly of women and children at offshore facilities. Sweden addressed the review session and stated that Australia was the only nation that advocated offshore processing and made detention of refugees compulsory.
“Norway recommends that asylum seekers claims are processed in accordance with the UNHCR convention,” Norway delegation said.
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