Offshore Processing of Refugees

Offshore Processing of Refugees

For two decades, Australia has subjected asylum seekers who arrive by boat without a valid visa to “third country processing” or “offshore processing”. This policy has endured through multiple governments and although billions of dollars have been spent, hundreds of refugees are still in limbo. Offshore detention is designed to be brutal; the evidence of poor conditions, abuse, harm and inadequate treatment suffered by those in detention is documented and clear.

Nauru Regional Processing Centre

Nauru Regional Processing Centre

In 2001, the Nauru Regional Processing Centre was opened in 2001 under Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s government. It was closed in 2008 but reopened in 2012 under Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Labor government. Since 2013, over 1,000 asylum seekers have been imprisoned on Nauru. Conditions on Nauru have received international condemnation, as facilities on the impoverished island are not sufficient for the processing and resettlement of asylum seekers.

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