Australia

Australia is a vibrant multicultural democracy with a strong record of protecting civil and political rights. However, the government’s failure to respect international standards for asylum seekers and refugees continues to take a heavy human toll. The country has maintained its draconian policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers offshore, and outsourcing of refugee obligations to other countries. Indigenous Australians remain significantly overrepresented in the country’s prisons. Australia still does not recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry. Other human rights concerns include overly broad counterterrorism laws and restrictions on the rights of people with disabilities.