A non-government organization involved in Human rights work has condemnedthe conditions onthe asylum processing Centre on Manus Island.
AmnestyInternational made a visit tothe island fromthe 11th tothe 16th of Novermber and has compiled a report aboutthe visit.
AmnestyInternational has accused Australia of deliberately doing this to pressure people to return totheir countries from whichthey have fled. National Director, Claire Mallinson, saysthe policy of shipping asylum seekers, many of whom have suffered terribly intheir home countries to offshore facilities has to end.
A report compiled fromtheir visit tothe Island highlights conditions faced bythe asylum seekers onthe centre. Only 55 out of 1000 asylum seekers have been able to start a claim for refugee.
Mallinson described Australia’s policy on asylum seekers as cruelly ironic and said though Australia recognisedthe dangerous situations in countries wherethese people have come from, it holdsthem in prison-like conditions and deniestheir right to seek asylum.
She said some asylum seekers onthe island revealedtheir plans to commit’suicide because ofthe harsh and humiliating conditions inthe Centre.
Amnesty saidthe treatment onthe centre is forcing potential refugees to return totheir countries and this is a serious breach of Australia’s obligations underInternational Law.
AmnestyInternational is now calling onthe Australian government to reviewthe Regional resettlement Arrangement withPNG and end offshore processing and detention of asylum seekers.
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