Albanese Government must act to end a decade of offshore cruelty

This week, the Federal Government had the opportunity to end a decade of cruel, inhumane treatment of 150 people stranded in offshore detention. Instead, the Albanese Government voted with the Coalition and One Nation to block Greens senator Nick McKim’s Evacuation to Safety Bill that would remove the last refugees from Nauru and Papua New Guinea. 

The vote came after the Senate committee examining the bill pushed the Albanese Government to urgently consider all options to evacuate the refugees remaining in offshore detention, but inexplicably stopped short of support for the legislation to require it.  

In its submission to the inquiry, the Human Rights Law Centre outlined the dysfunction of current processes for transfers to Australia and the ongoing impact of family separation caused by offshore detention.  

While in opposition, the Labor government supported the former Medevac legislation, and committed to improving processes for medical transfers and oversight of healthcare. The Albanese government has not acted on those commitments and has declined the opportunity offered by the bill to carry them out.   

Scott Cosgriff, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre said:  

“Offshore processing is a failed policy that has cost far more in human suffering than can be measured by the billions of dollars wasted on it.  

“Successive governments have sought to normalise the ongoing atrocity of offshore detention by prolonging the mistreatment of people who remain there year upon year, under the pretence that they are engaged in a resettlement ‘process’.  

“The Albanese government cannot evade responsibility for people in offshore centres by pretending that it no longer controls people’s lives or medical treatment. With or without legislation, the Albanese government is directly responsible for the futures of the people trapped offshore, and has the power to act on that responsibility. 

“The Albanese Government needs to evacuate the 150 people stranded in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, shut down offshore detention, and end this cruel, inhumane and heartless chapter in Australia’s history once and for all.” 
 
Read the Human Rights Law Centre’s submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee on the Evacuation to Safety Bill. 

Media Contact:
Thomas Feng
Human Rights Law Centre
Media and Communications Manager thomas.feng@hrlc.org.au
0431 285 275