13 Sep 2016

Australian Parliament to investigate abuse claims

1:32 pm on 13 September 2016

Australia's Parliament will investigate allegations of abuse, self-harm and neglect of asylum seekers detained on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.

Protestors outside parliament in Wellington call for the closure of Australia's asylum seeker camps

Protestors outside parliament in Wellington call for the closure of Australia's asylum seeker camps Photo: RNZI/ Sally Round

The opposition Labor and Green parties co-sponsored a motion in the Senate, which was passed with the help of five cross-bench senators.

The call for an inquiry followed the leak of thousands of files documenting abuse of adults and children at the Australian-funded detention centre on Nauru.

The parliament's Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee will examine the allegations of abuse, self-harm and neglect of asylum seekers in Australia's offshore detention programme.

It will also examine attempts by the Australian government to re-settled asylum seekers in third countries.

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