1. Australia’scurrentpoliciesallowhumanrightsabuse of children,womenandmenindetention
facilitieslocated offshore underprivate contract.Thisbreachesinternational law asAustraliais a
signatorytothe UnitedNationsDeclarationof HumanRightsunderThe Refugee Convention.
Therefore,there are specificacts, Australia, asastate,must abide byto upholdthiscontract
(McAdam,Appleby&Higgins,2015). The definitionof arefugee underthe RefugeeConvention
states:
A personwhoisoutside theircountryof nationalityortheirusual countryof residence,is
unable orunwillingtoreturnor to seekthe protectionof thatcountrydue to a well-founded
fearof beingpersecutedforreasonof race,religion,nationality,membershipof aparticular
social group,or political opinion,isnotawar criminal andhas not committedanyseriousnon-
political crimesoracts contraryto the purposesandprinciplesof the UnitedNations (Healey,
2013, p.XXX).
Under the Australiangovernment’s currentpolicies, the BorderForceAct2015 (Cth) enables asylum
seekersandrefugees, whoenterAustralianwaters, tobe arrestedandconfinedinarbitrary
detention offshore. Children,womenandmenare detainedwithoutlegal assistance todetermine
theirstatusas refugees. These actionsbythe Australiangovernmentbreach Article 9(1) The
International CovenantonCivil andPolitical Rights(ICCPR),which states, “Everyone hasthe rightto
libertyandsecurityof person.No-oneshall be subjectedto arbitraryarrestor detention”(Office of
the High Commissionerof HumanRights,1996-2005).
The Immigration and Detention and Community StatisticsSummary of July2015 revealsthe lengthof
time asylumseekersandrefugeesare imprisonedwithin immigrationdetentionfacilities.Nineteen
pointsix percentspend sevenhundredandthirty days.Elevenpointeight percentspend five
hundredandfortyeight to sevenhundredandthirty daysand seventeenpointthree percentare
heldinarbitraryprisonfor one hundredandeightythree tothree hundredandsixty-five days
(Departmentof ImmigrationandBorderProtection,2015).
Due to the extensive periodof arbitraryimprisonment,evidence determinesthirty-fourpercentof
childrenduringthe firsthalf of 2012 have mental healthdisorders,whichincomparisontotwo
percentwithinAustraliaisalarming.The healthof childrenshouldbe of primaryconcern,yet
Australia’s policiesare consistentinallowingchildren’s mentalandemotionalhealthtodeteriorate
(AustralianHumanRightsCommission[AHRC],2014).A reportby the AustralianHumanRights
Commissionthree yearspriorfoundchildrendiagnosedwith post-traumaticstressandsevere
psychological damage wasaccountable fortheirsuicidal ideationandactual self-harm(AHRC,2012).
Therefore,Australiaisinbreachof Article 37(b), Conventionsof theRightsof a Child. The United
NationsHumanRightscommittee foundinAugust2013, the fragilityof asylumseekersandrefugees
wellbeinglivinginarbitraryimprisonmentcausedpsychological damage thatisirreversible.This
combinedwithprevioustraumasufferedintheircountryof origin breachesArticle7, Prohibitionon
Cruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatment.The allegationsof sexualandphysical assaultwithin
offshore detentioncentersagainststaff bychildrenandwomen whoweredetained inthe Nauru
DetentionCentre indicate breacheswithin Article 10:Personsdeprivedof theirlibertytobe treated
withhumanityandrespectfortheirinherent dignity, andArticle 7:Torture or cruel,inhumanand
degradingtreatmentorpunishment(Departmentof ImmigrationandBorderProtection,2015).

2. There is grave concernfor the currentMigrationAmendment(Maintainingthe GoodOrderof
ImmigrationDetentionFacilities) Bill2015, as the bill advocates the use of force tobe usedondocile
people withindetentionwhoare demonstratingsilentaction, sittingonthe groundwithoutmoving
or speaking.Section197BA(1),ImmigrationDetentionFacilities,states:“anauthorizedofficermay
use such reasonable force againstanypersonorthingas the authorizedofficerreasonablybelieves
isnecessaryto (b) maintainthe goodorder,peace or securityof an immigrationdetentionfacility”
197BA(2) “Withoutlimitingsubsection(1) anauthorizedofficermayuse reasonableforce asthe
authorizedofficerreasonablybelievesisnecessaryunderthatsubsection.” 197BA(e)“tomove a
detainee withinan immigrationdetentionfacility”or197BA (f) “to preventactioninan immigration
detentionfacilitybythatpersonthat”197 BA(f) (ii) “disturbsthe goodorder,peace orsecurityof the
facility”,therefore Section197BA (1) and (2) violates actswithin Article21(ICCPR) Rightof peaceful
assembly,Article7(ICCPR) Torture or cruel,inhumanordegradingtreatmentorpunishment,Article
1 The conventionagainsttorture andArticle Six (ICCPR) The RighttoLife as the Migration
Amendment(Maintainingthe GoodOrderof ImmigrationDetentionFacilities) Bill 2015 authorizes
prisonguardsthe right to kill.Section197BA Maintainingthe goodorderetc.of immigration
detentionfacilities (1) states“Anauthorizedofficermayuse suchreasonable force againstany
personor thing,asthe authorizedofficerreasonablybelievesisnecessary”197BA(5(b) “doanything
likelytocause a persongrievousbodilyharmunlessthe authorizedofficerreasonablybelievesthat
doingthe thingisnecessary”.The MigrationAmendment(Maintainingthe GoodOrderof
ImmigrationDetentionFacilities) Bill2015, therefore,violatesArticle 6(ICCPR) The Rightto Life.
There are rulesunderthe United Nations Refugee Convention, whichdetermine Australia’s
obligationstoprotectasylumseekersandrefugees.
As Australiaissignatorytothe UnitedNationsRefugee Convention, thereare rules,towhichthe
Australiangovernmentmustadhere:
Rule 1: “The state must notsenda personto any place where s/he willface areal chance of
persecutionorsignificantharm. Refoulementisthe legal termforthisaction. States,alsohave
humanrightsobligationstowardspersonsoutsidetheirterritorieswhoare under‘effectivecontrol’
and therefore withinjurisdiction” (Gleeson, 2015.P. XX).
Rule 2: “Statesmay be responsible forwrongful actsunderinternational law of theyare involvedin
or assistwithmisconductbyanotherstate”(Gleeson, 2015. P.XX).
Rule 3: “A state will be responsible forthe wrongful actunderinternational law,evenif the actwas
authorized byitsdomesticlaw”(Gleeson, 2015. P.XX).
Therefore,the Australiangovernmentisguiltyof refoulementregardingpoliciestoprocessasylum
seekersandrefugeesoffshore. If astate is foundguiltyof internationalwrongful conduct, agroupof
people oran individual personwhose humanrightshave beenviolateddue tothe breachmay
presentthese violationstothe UnitedNationsasa claimagainstthe state. (McAdam, Appleby&
Higgins,2015). A group of individualsoranindividual may bringaclaimagainstAustraliabefore The
UnitedNationsCommitteeagainstTorture due totheirexperience inoffshoredetention.
The weightof evidence implicates the AustralianGovernmentspoliciespertainingtooffshore
detention allow humanrightsabusesof children,womenandmen,therefore,breaching
International Law. Until offshoredetentioncentersonNauruandPapuaNew Guinea close
indefinitely,familiesheldwithin remainsowithouttheirbasichumanrights.Asoffshore detention
centerscontinue tobe studied atsaturation point, evidence indicates thatthe psychological damage
of arbitrarydetentionmaybecome permanent.

4. Reference List:
Departmentof ImmigrationandBorderProtection.(2015). Review into recent allegationsrelating to
conditionsand circumstancesatthe RegionalProcessing Centrein Nauru,FinalReport[Moss
Review].Retrievedfrom https://www.border.gov.au/ReportsandPublications/Documents/reviews-
and-inquiries/review-conditions-circumstances-nauru.pdf
AustralianHumanRightsCommission.(2012). Immigration detention on ChristmasIsland:
Observationsfromvisitto Immigration detention facilities on ChristmasIsland.Retrievedfrom
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/idc2012_christmas_isla
nd.pdf
AustralianHumanRightsCommission.(2014). Forgotten Children:NationalInquiry in Immigration
Detention,2014. Retrievedfrom
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/forgotten_children_201
4.pdf
Departmentof ImmigrationandBorderProtection.(2015). Immigration Detention and Community
Statistics Summary,31July 2015. Retrievedfrom
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/immigration-detention-statistics-
31July2015.pdf
Gleeson, Madeline.(2015). Factsheet:Offshore processing:Australia’sresponsibilitiesforasylum
seekersandrefugeesinNauruandPapuaNew Guinea.Retrievedfrom
http://www.kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/publication/offshore-processing-australia-responsibility
Healey,J.(Ed.) (2013). AsylumSeekersand Immigration Detention.Thirroul,Australia:SpinneyPress,
2013.
McAdam, J.,Appleby,G.,&Higgins,C. (2015, April 1).SubmissiontoSenate Legal andConstitutional
AffairsCommitteeInquiryintothe MigrationAmendment(Maintaining the GoodOrderof
ImmigrationDetentionFacilitiesBill 2015 (Cth).
MigrationAmendment(Maintainingthe GoodOrderof ImmigrationDetentionFacilities) Bill 2015
(Cth).Retrievedfrom
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r
5415
Office of the HighCommissionerof HumanRights.(1996-2005). International CovenantonCivil and
Political Rights. Adoptedandopenedforsignature,ratificationandaccessionbyGeneral Assembly
resolution2200A (XXI) of 16 December1966 entryintoforce 23 March 1976, inaccordance with
Article 49. Retrievedfrom http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx