1 Dec 2016

Call for Australians to re-assess attitude to refugees

3:37 pm on 1 December 2016

An Amnesty International researcher, says Australians need to re-assess the way their country treats asylum seekers and refugees.

Australians protest against the Nauru detention centre

Australians protest against the Nauru detention centre Photo: AFP

Anna Neistat recently visited Nauru and conducted research into the plight of the people being held in the Australian-run camps on the island.

Amnesty concluded that Australia was effectively torturing the asylum seekers and refugees as a deterrent to others considering trying to reach Australia by boat.

Canberra had claimed it was necessary to stop the boats and save lives, but Ms Neistat said it was high time Australians questioned this.

"Because it is not true. People continue to die. They continue to die at sea, just not at Australia's shores, but they continue to die in boats near Indonesia, near Malaysia - wherever the boats are diverted to.

"They continue to die in countries of transit when they cannot be processed to get to Australia or another place of safety, and they continue to die in their home countries that they cannot flee because countries like Australia are closing their borders."

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