Australia's Migration Inhumanity

Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) is a statutory body independent of government, established by the Commonwealth in 1986. That is it is statutory and independent of government means it is not subject to ministerial control.

On 6 August 2006, it released a media statement. The staement makes the following salient points:
(http://www.hreoc.gov.au/media_releases/2006/59_06.htm)

• The "United Nations Human Rights Committee has found that Australia’s immigration detention regime breaches one of the most fundamental of all human rights obligations – the right to be protected from arbitrary imprisonment."
  

• There have been 5 adverse findings against the Federal Government in the last 10 years (the time it's been in office)

• The Human Rights Commissioner is quoted as saying "proposals to send all people who arrive in Australia by sea without a visa for offshore processing are likely to put Australia in breach of its human rights obligations."

• The Migration laws do not allow a person, who does not have a visa, to have their case reviewed by a court, or any other review body to determine whether they should be detained. Even our most heinous criminals are given this right to court appearances.

• The Commissioner also said that the adverse findings by the United Nations should act as a warning against the currently proposed legislation.

The current Federal Government is abrogating its responsibilities to treat other people with basic human dignity and due care for their rights. It is turning Australia into the Pharisee who crossed the road in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

We should be ashamed.

The Analyst