UN human rights chief welcomes Australian asylum policy shift

GENEVA (29 November 2011) – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Tuesday welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement that more asylum seekers will be released from mandatory detention and placed in the community.

“I am pleased to see this latest shift in policy, bringing in individual assessments of asylum seekers for release into the community,” Pillay said. “I welcome these steps towards a more humane approach to asylum seekers in Australia which can only help to strengthen the tolerance and understanding necessary in a modern multi-cultural society,” she added.

The new policy, announced on Friday, will allow some undocumented migrants arriving by boat to be placed in the community on bridging visas after undergoing initial assessments of health, security and identity.

“Over the course of the year, Australia has made real progress in its treatment of asylum seekers. The majority of children have now been removed from immigration detention facilities and are now in the community. I look forward to seeing further reductions in the numbers of asylum seekers in detention by the use of alternatives of this sort,” the High Commissioner said.

In May 2011, the High Commissioner visited Australia and urged* a rethink of Australia’s asylum policies, including an end to mandatory detention.

(*) End-of-mission statement by Navi Pillay, Canberra, 25 May 2011:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11062&LangID=E

Learn more about the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/HighCommissioner.aspx

UN Human Rights, country page – Australia: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/AUIndex.aspx

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