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GuardianFEB 23 2023
UN: Australia Violated Refugee Rights in Nauru Detention Center
Above: Protesters march on Lygon Street on April 19, 2021, in Melbourne, Australia over 17 asylum seekers who were removed from immigration detention in Brisbane. Image copyright: Diego Fedele/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Australia allegedly detained asylum seekers, including minors, in the Pacific island nation of Nauru despite them having refugee status, the UN Human Rights Committee said on Thursday. It urged Canberra to compensate the refugees.
The UN watchdog alleged Australia violated two International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights provisions: One on arbitrary detention and another protecting the right to legally challenge detention. Its opinion covered two cases.
Commenting on the cases involving 25 refugees, who filed a complaint with the UN panel, committee member Mahjoub El Haiba said a state "cannot escape its human rights responsibility when outsourcing asylum processing to another state."
The Spin
Narrative A
In a damning indictment of Australia's moral failure, the UN has exposed the human cost of Nauru's offshore detention centers, where children lost their youth and innocence to a faulty system. Despite Australia's attempts to dodge responsibility, the UN's ruling confirms what advocates long maintained: offshore detention remains Canberra's burden of shame.
Narrative B
Australia has consistently maintained that it does not exercise effective control over Nauru’s regional processing centers operating under Nauruan jurisdiction. While respecting international obligations, it has robustly defended its policies aimed at maintaining border security, preventing dangerous maritime journeys, and ensuring sovereign management of immigration.
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