As a member of the Human Rights summit, it is obvious that Australia is failing to uphold the high standards required for the treatment of asylum seekers. The evidence clearly demonstrates that Australia is in breach of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which is totally unacceptable and must be altered immediately. The United Nations define asylum seekers as a person who is outside their own country and is unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their: race, religion, nationality, member of a particular social group or political opinion. Currently there are 42.5 million people displaced by persecution and conflict. Every year over 895 000 people are forced to become asylum seekers because of horrendous circumstances (such as war) in their hometown.
When asylum seekers are found in Australian territories, Australia has obligations under treaties to ensure asylum seekers’ human rights are respected and protected. These treaties ensure that asylum seekers who meet the definition of a refugee are not sent back to a country where their life or freedom is threatened. Australia also has responsibilities not to return people to third world countries if their safety is in jeopardy, even if these …show more content…
This change included the introduction of mandatory detention of any asylum seeker with a maximum detention of 273 days. The maximum detention was removed in 1994, which is currently in place which means that asylum seekers can be detained for an indefinite period of time. In 2012 third world country processing of asylum seekers who arrived by boat was introduced and detention centres in Nauru and Manus Island were built. The Introduction of mandatory indefinite detention and third world country processing has led to numerous breaches of human rights by the Governments of