UN slams Australia for abandoning refugees at camp
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has censured the government of Australia for its treatment of refugees amid a "looming humanitarian crisis" at a refugee camp in Papua New Guinea.
The Australian government ordered last Tuesday its employees to abandon 600 male refugees at the Manus Island camp, cutting water, food, and power under a court ruling that declared the detention center illegal.
The UN body, which monitors countries' compliance with human rights principles, said on Thursday that Canberra needed to abide by human rights laws and stop its violation of the human rights of refugees who land in the country.
The government of Australia “should also address the conditions of detention in immigration facilities, provide adequate mental healthcare, refrain from applying force or physical restraints against migrants and ensure that all allegations of use of force against them are promptly investigated," it said.
The UN committee, which comprises 18 independent experts, instructed the Australian government to change its immigration policy to come in line with international standards.
The Australian government, it said, would inform the panel in one year what actions it had taken to address UN concerns.
Australia has been widely criticized by the international community and human rights advocates for sending asylum seekers, who try to reach its shores by boat, to Canberra-funded detention camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
The UN committee cited its concerns about the refugees’ physical and mental well-being on Manus island and Nauru, citing serious safety concerns and instances of assault, sexual abuse, self-harm and suspicious deaths.
The United Nations had earlier warned of a "looming humanitarian crisis" at the closed detention camp on Manus Island where 600 asylum-seekers have refused to leave over fear of attacks by the local population since Oct. 31.
Australia's 1958 Migration Act allows the removal of an unlawful non-citizen regardless of the risk of returning them to a country where they may face death or persecution, the committee said.
The UN human rights committee urged the Australian government to adhere to the "non-refoulement" principle which is a fundamental code of international law.
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