UN Slams Australia's Treatment of Asylum Seekers as "Hostile" and "Dehumanizing"

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has expressed his growing alarm at the treatment of asylum seekers in Australia, labeling it as "hostile" and "dehumanizing". Speaking about the human rights of migrants, Zeid highlighted the international community's failure to protect the rights of migrants, citing lethal cases in Europe and Southeast Asia. He warned that Australia's response to migrant arrivals, which includes labelling asylum seekers as illegal entries and placing them in offshore detention, sets a poor benchmark for its neighbours.

Key Takeaways:

• Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has expressed his "growing alarm" at the treatment of asylum seekers in Australia, citing widespread hostility and contempt among politicians.
• Australia's treatment of asylum seekers in offshore detention centers in Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island has been labelled as "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment" by the Special Rapporteur on Torture.
• The Australian government's policies on asylum seekers, including detaining recognised refugees, are deemed to be in violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child according to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
• Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has warned that Australia's response to migrant arrivals sets a poor benchmark for its neighbours, and that the country's treatment of asylum seekers may not be a model to be followed.
• Australia's immigration detention policies have been criticized for causing harm to children, with Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein stating that the country's treatment of children in immigration detention violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• The Abbott government's election slogan "stop the boats" has been criticized by Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who argues that this policy does not consider the human rights implications of lumping asylum seekers into one category.

Statistics:

• In 2010, a boat carrying 90 asylum seekers, mostly from Iraq and Iran, sank off Christmas Island, killing 48 people.
• Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has cited "lethal cases" in Europe and Southeast Asia as examples of the international community's failure to protect the rights of migrants.
• The number of asylum seeker boats arriving in Australian waters has been a contentious issue, with the Abbott government implementing policies to "stop the boats".
• The Australian government has placed refugees in offshore detention centers in Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, where conditions have been labelled as "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment".

Sources:

• "Australia's 'hostility and contempt' towards asylum seekers 'widespread' - UN". Xinhua News Agency, 16 Jun 2015.