Australia finally makes promises to the UN to boost human rights agenda
The UN has openly criticised Australia's poor human rights responses to current political and social concerns, including refugee and asylum seeker communities. Australia has finally been called to action by a UN HCR criticism that will see Australia's policies and reforms being criticised and reviewed by the UN.
The Human Rights Law Centre's director of campaigns, Tim Clarke, said in a July statement: "Australia has stubbornly rejected every single call from the UN to abandon its cruel treatment of people seeking asylum - its policies blatantly and deliberately breach international human rights law in a gruesome attempt to deter people from seeking safety in Australia.”
Further, the UN has criticised Australia's false promises, which ensure refugees that reuniting families would be a priority in the Australian asylum seeker agenda, however, it has since been revoked. On this topic, the UNHCR Chief, Filippo Grandi said, "the Australian government's decision to deny them this possibility is contrary to the fundamental principles of family unity and refugee protection, and to common decency".
This is not the first time that the UN has openly criticised Australia's asylum seeker policies. Just last month, the harsh realities of off-shore detention and processing centres was criticised as being inhumane, specifically for children and other minority refugees.
The fight to close off-shore detention and processing centres starts here, in Australia. Being a Good Neighbour is more than being part of your local community, it is sharing that community with the rest of the world, to share the opportunities we have been blessed with, to others.
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