An asylum seeker who was forced to wear handcuffs to medical appointments while being held in Australian immigration detention has settled a claim against the federal government and security firm Serco.
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) which represented the asylum seeker in his three-year legal battle in Federal Court, said the matter was recently settled on confidential terms.
‘Yasir was put in an impossible position, where he had to choose between the trauma of handcuffing or being denied essential medical care. His physical health and mental health both suffered as a result.’
‘The people Australia locks up in immigration detention are human beings. We have a duty to treat them with dignity and care.’
People who may have been impacted by this issue are invited to fill out our handcuff use in Australian onshore immigration detention survey.
*Name changed to protect anonymity.
Reducing unfair fines and over-policing from alcohol-free zones