Asylum seeker rights
Media and commentary related to our work on asylum seeker rights and ensuring access to health care in Australian immigration detention.
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Opinion: our duty of care to people in immigration detention
The treatment of asylum-seekers and others who enter or remain in Australia without a valid visa attracts great controversy. But some things should be uncontroversial. Governments owe a duty of care to the people they detain. The state has a special responsibility to ensure any person it detains is treated fairly and humanely, and has…
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New report calls for urgent reform to standard of care in immigration detention
A new report highlighting a lack of basic medical care provided to asylum seekers in Australia’s onshore immigration detention centres, has called for urgent legislation and practical measures to ensure that asylum seekers receive the same health care as the general community. ‘In Poor Health: Health care in Australian immigration detention,’ reveals cases of asylum…
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SMH: ‘Real and tragic consequences’: asylum seekers left untreated for hepatitis C
Mr Jadiri, who remains on Christmas Island as his asylum claim progresses, only started receiving medication in March following a letter of demand by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre to the federal government. “The hepatitis C cases are just absolutely stark,” said the centre’s chief executive Jonathon Hunyor. “There’s a treatment available, it’s provided to…
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AHRC releases Villawood and Yongah Hill inspection reports
The Australian Human Rights Commission has released its latest inspection reports of the immigration detention facilities at Villawood and Yongah Hill, a large facility outside of Perth. Key issues addressed in the reports concern treatment of immigration detainees, conditions of detention, physical and mental health and communication channels and complaints systems. The reports include several…
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Treatment of asylum seekers in detention an onshore problem too: Jane Leibowitz
Right now, more than 1,250 people – most of whom are seeking Australia’s protection from persecution – are being detained for long periods of time in prison-like conditions, despite having committed no crime. To make matters worse, the level of healthcare that is provided to this group of people is often substandard, with long waits…
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Five things you may not know about health care and immigration detention
Did you know that every day asylum seekers in Australian onshore detention centres are suffering without a basic, enforceable right to medical care and treatment? This is something we’re working to change through our Asylum Seeker Health Rights project. You can donate here. In this video Senior Solicitor, Jane Leibowitz explains five things you may…
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Asylum seekers on Manus Island commence class action
A class action is commencing this week for 1905 asylum seekers who are seeking compensation for physical and psychological injuries they suffered in detention on Manus Island. The group members are also seeking additional damages for false imprisonment after the PNG Supreme Court ruled the detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island was unconstitutional. The…
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Help asylum seekers in detention get the medical care they need
In late 2016 PIAC launched the Asylum Seeker Health Rights Project to help people who are suffering in Australian immigration detention centres without access to the medical and mental health care they need. Marco* is one of our clients. 33 years old, he spent 55 months in immigration detention, being moved between centres on Christmas…
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Nine year old asylum seeker settles case with immigration department
A nine-year-old asylum seeker who was held in immigration detention on Christmas Island has been awarded a settlement by the immigration department over claims her physical and mental health deteriorated in her 12 months on the island. The girl was five years old when she arrived in Australia on 26 July 2013 and was placed…
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Senate report: abuse, self-harm and neglect on Nauru
On 21 April 2017, the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs delivered damning findings from a seven-month inquiry into allegations of abuse, self-harm and neglect of asylum seekers detained on Manus Island and Nauru. For the period under investigation, ‘first and foremost’ the Australian government had to acknowledge that it controlled the offshore…