UN rights committee holds Australia responsible for arbitrary detention of asylum seekers in Nauru's offshore facilities
The UN Human Rights Committee has found Australia responsible for violating a human rights treaty by redirecting or transferring asylum seekers to the offshore detention facilities in the Republic of Nauru.
In 2012 and 2013, Australia signed agreements with Nauru, enabling the forced transfer of asylum seekers to the Pacific Island nation for “processing.”
However, “a state party cannot escape its human rights responsibility when outsourcing asylum processing to another state,” said committee member Mahjoub El Haiba in a statement on Thursday.
About 24 unaccompanied minors from various countries were intercepted by Australia while fleeing persecution and detained on Christmas Island and later in Nauru.
Despite being granted refugee status in 2014, they endured poor conditions in the overcrowded Nauru center, suffering physical and mental health issues, according to the committee's statement.
An Iranian asylum seeker, recognized as a refugee in 2017, was detained in Nauru until 2018. She was transferred to Australia for medical reasons, but remained in detention.
Victims filed complaints with the Human Rights Committee, alleging Australia violated its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The UN committee determined that Australia failed to explain why the individuals could not be transferred to mainland community detention centers, which better meet the needs of vulnerable people.
