Australia: Don't smear Nauru refugees
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 16 August 2016 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Australia: Don't smear Nauru refugees, 16 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b86d5c4.html [accessed 18 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Responding to the Nauru Government and Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's claim that the refugees on Nauru had "fabricated" their claims, Anna Neistat, Amnesty International's Senior Director for Research, said:
"Instead of smearing vulnerable refugees, the Nauru and Australian governments should be investigating human rights violations and putting an end to them. The leaked reports conclusively show who was fabricating their claims - and it wasn't the refugees.
"Having tried so hard to keep the appalling abuse of refugees on Nauru secret, brazen denial is the natural next step for the authorities. But the evidence is incontrovertible, and Australia is going to have to end this shameful chapter of its history and resettle these refugees."
Background
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch recently published a rare investigation into a deliberate pattern of appalling abuses against refugees and asylum seekers on the remote Pacific island.
