The National Justice Project has called on the Federal Government to act on findings from the United Nations Human Rights Committee that Australia violated a human rights treaty by detaining a group of asylum seekers, including children, on Nauru without access to sufficient water and healthcare.
National Justice Project CEO Adjunct Professor George Newhouse welcomed the UN Committee’s findings and the recommendations for compensation to be provided to the victims to ensure similar violations do not occur again.
“The UN acknowledges that financial compensation deters governments from inflicting abuse and neglect upon refugees in detention, including here in Australia with recognition that the immigration detention centres on Nauru are within Australia’s jurisdiction,” said Adjunct Professor Newhouse.
“The National Justice Project has been battling the Federal Government for more than six years on behalf of children and families dumped on Nauru like garbage by successive governments.
“Late last year the Federal Court issued judgments approving two settlements for two children whose health had been compromised whilst they were detained offshore. We still have 40 more active cases before the court to try to secure justice for our clients and deter the government from inflicting abuse and neglect on refugees in detention.
“The UN has reaffirmed that the government not only has a duty of care for these children and families but that successive governments have been in serious breach of international conventions and treaties.
“Far from taking the UN concerns seriously, the current government has attempted to close the door to all future claims by amendments to the Migration Act which provide the government, its agencies and officers with a blanket indemnity to do what harm they want to these vulnerable people,” he said.
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Media coverage
- Australia breached human rights treaty, UN body rules
Australian Associated Press, 10 January 2024
