NPR

Lawsuits Say Australia Subjects Asylum-Seekers To Torture And Crimes Against Humanity

The class actions represent more than 1,000 migrants detained by the government on islands belonging to other countries, under contract with Australia.

Two class action lawsuits filed in Australia's High Court claim people seeking asylum in Australia who arrive by boat without proper documentation are subject to torture and crimes against humanity. The suits say the Australian government is also guilty of intentional infliction of harm in the use of an offshore processing system, according to The Guardian.

The suits were filed by the National Justice Project, a human rightsmany of them fled from places such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Myanmar and even Bangladesh seeking asylum.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min readIndustries
China Makes Cheap Electric Vehicles. Why Can't American Shoppers Buy Them?
American drivers want cheap EVs. Chinese automakers are building them. But you can't buy them in the U.S., thanks to tariffs in the name of U.S. jobs and national security. Two car shoppers weigh in.
NPR5 min readWorld
When Rockets Fall, Some Israeli Citizens Have Nowhere To Hide
While most buildings in Israel are required to have bomb shelters, a zoning catch-22 has left Bedouin villagers unprotected.
NPR3 min read
Floods In Southern Brazil Kill At Least 75 People Over 7 Days
Massive floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days, and another 103 were reported missing, local authorities said Sunday.

Related Books & Audiobooks