Australia and its reponse: Operation Sovereign Borders
Under the current Coalition Government, they have enacted Operation Sovereign Borders which seeks to ‘control our borders’ and ‘restore real policies that live up to this declaration’. Operations has one primary objective: “stop the entry of detected SIEV’s into Australian Territory”
SIEV’s use to stand for Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel anymore, but has now been changed tSuspected Irregular Entry Vessel.
The Operation involves the harmony and synchronization of all government agency and Regional Support. There are four main parts of the Operation that are led by different Governmental organisation
SIEV’s use to stand for Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel anymore, but has now been changed tSuspected Irregular Entry Vessel.
The Operation involves the harmony and synchronization of all government agency and Regional Support. There are four main parts of the Operation that are led by different Governmental organisation
- Disruption and Deterrence-Australian Federal Police
- Detection, Interception and Transfer- Border Protection Command
- Offshore Detention and Assessment Task Group- Department of Immigration and Citizenship
- Return, Remove or Resettle- Department of Immigration and Citizenship
how is australia breeching the universal declaration of human rights relating to refugees and asylum seekers?
Australia played a significant role in founding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They were a part of the UN negotiation charter in 1945, as well as being a part of the eight nations who were involved in drafting The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. You can find out more about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by clicking here.
With this said, Australia has broken this Declaration by "sending the boats back."
Main breeches to the universal declaration of human rights
According to Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."
This Article is breached because the policy of 'mandatory detention' is applied to asylum seekers as a blanket rule, without reference to the various reasons stipulated in the UN Refugee Convention guidelines - such as the fact that detention needs to be enacted as a 'last resort', and on a 'case-by-case basis only'. Mandatory detention is contrary to all recommendations and advice of UNHCR, it is itself in breach of this Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even if in Australia legislation has been passed by Parliament to "make this OK" in Australia - it does NOT make it OK at all. The Right to Liberty is withheld from asylum seekers who arrive "uninvited" to Australian shores.
In addition, there is a growing and 'overwhelming body of evidence' through thousands of letters to refugee friends and supporters that the 'security of person' is seriously breached in detention centres. Information about progress of asylum applications is withheld, detainees' unfettered and continuing access to lawyers is compromised, and inappropriate attitudes, intimidation and cultural/religious taunts from staff of the companies who are charged with the running of detention centres as well as from DIMIA (the Department of Immigration) staff make detainees feel seriously insecure.
Also, Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that:
This Article is breached because the entire strategic position in Australia is one of first imprisoning those who seek asylum in Australia, often for years on end, and then once the asylum seeker is successful in the claim for asylum, to grant a temporary protection visa for 3 years only.
More details as to how Australia is breeching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be found here.
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."
This Article is breached because the policy of 'mandatory detention' is applied to asylum seekers as a blanket rule, without reference to the various reasons stipulated in the UN Refugee Convention guidelines - such as the fact that detention needs to be enacted as a 'last resort', and on a 'case-by-case basis only'. Mandatory detention is contrary to all recommendations and advice of UNHCR, it is itself in breach of this Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even if in Australia legislation has been passed by Parliament to "make this OK" in Australia - it does NOT make it OK at all. The Right to Liberty is withheld from asylum seekers who arrive "uninvited" to Australian shores.
In addition, there is a growing and 'overwhelming body of evidence' through thousands of letters to refugee friends and supporters that the 'security of person' is seriously breached in detention centres. Information about progress of asylum applications is withheld, detainees' unfettered and continuing access to lawyers is compromised, and inappropriate attitudes, intimidation and cultural/religious taunts from staff of the companies who are charged with the running of detention centres as well as from DIMIA (the Department of Immigration) staff make detainees feel seriously insecure.
Also, Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that:
- (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
- (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
This Article is breached because the entire strategic position in Australia is one of first imprisoning those who seek asylum in Australia, often for years on end, and then once the asylum seeker is successful in the claim for asylum, to grant a temporary protection visa for 3 years only.
More details as to how Australia is breeching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be found here.
Pope Francis on Asylum Seekers in Australia
Pope Francis would be appalled by treatment of asylum seekers on Manus Island, says Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge
Pope Francis would be appalled at the Australian Government’s treatment of asylum seekers, according to one of Australia’s most senior Catholics in an interview with Four Corners.
Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge said the pontiff would be "appalled" if he visited Manus Island, where asylum seekers are held under a policy he described as "cruel and dehumanising".
The comments follow a statement by Australian Catholic Bishops last month which condemned the asylum-seeker policies of both sides of politics, describing Australia's approach as "institutionalised cruelty".
"Pope Francis would subscribe to that statement that the current policy supported by both sides of politics is morally unacceptable and shames our country and the need for it to be reconsidered is urgent," Archbishop Coleridge said.
"What is puzzling and indeed troubling in all of this is that you have politicians who are not themselves cruel people, quite the contrary, but they are presiding over a policy which has to be named cruel.
"And this can only happen if those who are seeking refuge on our shores are dehumanised - and that’s the heart of the problem."
The interview with Archbishop Coleridge will be aired on ABC1 tonight following a screening of the BBC Panorama documentary The Pope's Revolution.
In July last year Pope Francis called for greater compassion for asylum seekers when he visited the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa.
He met with asylum seekers, mainly from North Africa, who had risked their lives on boats bound for Europe.
At the time the Pope said people had become indifferent to the suffering of asylum seekers.
"We have become used to other people's suffering, it doesn't concern us, it doesn't interest us, it's none of our business," Pope Francis told Reuters at the time.
Taken from ABC.net
Four Corners By Mario Christodoulou
Updated 2 Jun 2014, 5:58pmMon 2 Jun 2014, 5:58pm
Pope Francis would be appalled at the Australian Government’s treatment of asylum seekers, according to one of Australia’s most senior Catholics in an interview with Four Corners.
Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge said the pontiff would be "appalled" if he visited Manus Island, where asylum seekers are held under a policy he described as "cruel and dehumanising".
The comments follow a statement by Australian Catholic Bishops last month which condemned the asylum-seeker policies of both sides of politics, describing Australia's approach as "institutionalised cruelty".
"Pope Francis would subscribe to that statement that the current policy supported by both sides of politics is morally unacceptable and shames our country and the need for it to be reconsidered is urgent," Archbishop Coleridge said.
"What is puzzling and indeed troubling in all of this is that you have politicians who are not themselves cruel people, quite the contrary, but they are presiding over a policy which has to be named cruel.
"And this can only happen if those who are seeking refuge on our shores are dehumanised - and that’s the heart of the problem."
The interview with Archbishop Coleridge will be aired on ABC1 tonight following a screening of the BBC Panorama documentary The Pope's Revolution.
In July last year Pope Francis called for greater compassion for asylum seekers when he visited the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa.
He met with asylum seekers, mainly from North Africa, who had risked their lives on boats bound for Europe.
At the time the Pope said people had become indifferent to the suffering of asylum seekers.
"We have become used to other people's suffering, it doesn't concern us, it doesn't interest us, it's none of our business," Pope Francis told Reuters at the time.
Taken from ABC.net
Four Corners By Mario Christodoulou
Updated 2 Jun 2014, 5:58pmMon 2 Jun 2014, 5:58pm