World Immigration News

Nishiyama Immigration Service
> World Immigration News

Australia’s offshore detention program unlawful and cost-inefficient, HRW says

Release Date
2026-03-02
Media
JURIST news
Summary
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized Australia’s offshore detention and resettlement program as both cost-inefficient and potentially in violation of international law, urging the government to invest in community-based alternatives instead.

In a submission to the Australian Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee, HRW described offshore processing as a form of “externalization,” whereby wealthier countries shift responsibility for asylum seekers to transit or third countries. HRW noted that the program costs Australia more than A$1 billion annually, with an estimated A$5.6 million per person spent in 2024–2025 to house asylum seekers on Nauru, compared to roughly A$3,962 per year for individuals living in Australia on bridging visas while their claims are processed.

HRW also highlighted concerns about human rights violations. The UN Committee against Torture previously found that Australia’s offshore detention practices breached its obligations under the Convention against Torture, including in a case involving an Iranian asylum seeker allegedly tortured in Papua New Guinea. The UN Human Rights Committee likewise ruled that Australia violated international law by subjecting 24 unaccompanied minors transferred to Nauru to arbitrary detention and harmful living conditions.

Overall, HRW argues that Australia’s offshore detention system is costly, harmful, and inconsistent with its international legal obligations.
Tags
Australia

News Articles including "Australia"

Released on
Article Title
Tags
2026-03-08
Ability of big business to lobby for unsustainable immigration policies exposes 'undemocratic' nature of Australian political debate(CIC News)
Australia
2026-03-02
Australia’s offshore detention program unlawful and cost-inefficient, HRW says(JURIST news )
Australia
2026-02-27
Why is Australia let off the hook when it presents a bigger target than Europe?(Lowy Institute)
Australia
2026-02-20
Pauline Hanson is already distorting policy and politics on immigration. It’s threatening to take us down a dark road(The Guardian)
Australia
2026-02-16
Liberal Party divided over policy direction as Angus Taylor plots right-wing political shift(ABC NEWS)
Australia
2026-02-09
One Nation capitalises on anti-immigration sentiment in a housing crisis(ABC NEWS)
Australia
2026-02-06
Staff warn Australia’s immigration detention centres are being “run like prisons” under new private operator(VisaHQ)
Australia
2026-01-29
Canberra faces backlash for handing immigration-detention contracts to US private-prison giant(VisaHQ)
Australia
2026-01-26
Australia Day marked by ‘Invasion Day’ rallies, anti-immigration protests(The Straits Times)
Australia
2025-12-15
US State Dept’s immigration missive to Australia utters two words Liberals are too scared to say out loud(Sky News Australia)
Australia
2025-12-01
Immigration set to be Australia's issue of the summer(The Canberra Times)
Australia
2025-11-30
Anti-immigration has become a hot issue. Here’s why it’s wrong( The New Daily)
Australia
2025-11-16
Coalition pitches ‘affordable and responsible’ energy plan as Ley flags immigration as next policy battleground(The Guardian)
Australia
2025-10-30
Australia’s fragile multicultural consensus under threat(EAST ASIA FORUM)
Australia
2025-10-19
Anti-immigration rallies and counter protests held across the country with lower numbers — as it happened(ABC NEWS)
Australia
2025-09-27
Indians in Australia continue to face racist abuse one month on from anti-immigration protests(ABC NEWS)
Australia
2025-09-22
Unpacking Australia’s anti-immigration protests(AL HAKAM)
Australia
2025-09-15
Liberal Party immigration fight is a battle over how the party wants to position itself(ABC NEWS)
Australia
2025-09-06
Australian neo-Nazi attack on sacred Indigenous site a worrying trend(ALJAZEERA)
Australia
2025-09-01
Politicians have scapegoated immigration for decades. It’s time to flip the script(The Conversation)
Australia
2025-09-01
Australia condemns neo-Nazi-linked rally of ‘hate’ as thousands march against immigration(The Times of Israel)
Australia
2025-09-01
Immigration brings 'benefits' to Australia, says premier amid anti-immigration rallies(Anadolu Ajansı)
Australia
2025-08-29
March for Australia: how are police and government responding to anti-immigration rally promoted by neo-Nazis?(Guardian)
Australia
2025-06-28
‘Real people, real families’: Coalition signals dramatic shift away from anti-immigration rhetoric of Dutton era(The Guardian)
Australia
2025-04-27
Australia once had ‘immigration amnesties’ to grant legal status to undocumented people. Could we again?(The Conversation)
Australia
2025-04-14
Cutting migrant numbers won’t help housing – the real immigration problems not being tackled this election(The Conversation)
Australia
2025-04-03
Concerns over asylum-seeker welfare at Melbourne Immigration Detention Centre(ABC NEWS)
Australia
2025-03-27
4 Key Myths That Manufacture an Immigration ‘Crisis’ in Australia(The Diplomat)
Australia
2025-02-26
Australia’s Coalition pledges strict student caps to tackle “immigration mess”(THE PIE)
Australia
2025-02-16
Convicted murderer among three members of NZYQ cohort to be resettled in Nauru under deal struck by Labor(The Guardian)
Australia
2025-02-07
A mixed bag: views on immigration in Australia(Devpolicy Blog)
Australia
2024-12-22
Australia Permanent Residency: New opportunities for foreign workers, migrants and students in 2025(Financial Express)
Australia
2024-12-11
Not just an afterthought: The experience of women in immigration detention (December 2024)(ReliefWeb)
Australia