Australian double standards and human rights abuses

Tony Abbott’s government is guilty of egregious human rights abuses and people who speak out are threatened with prison terms.

Australian Govt accused of refugee double standard

Syrian refugees in transit in Greece.    Photo: AFP

Radio NZ,

10 September, 2015

The Refugee Action Coalition says it is wrong for the Australian Government to accept an extra 12,000 refugees, while people in a similar situation are trapped in limbo at its offshore processing camp.

The Australian Government has announced that it will take in an extra 12,000 refugees affected by the conflict in Syria and Iraq.

But the Coalition's Ian Rintoul says there are some Iraqi and Syrian asylum seekers that have been held for more than two years at the Australian run camps on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, and Nauru.

He says they fled their countries for exactly the same reasons as those who are caught up in Europe's migrant crisis.

"One of the people, his house was bombed in 2012, his family made at least one attempt to get into Turkey unsuccessfully, he's separated from his family, unable to help them so you can imagine the stress. But they have fled for exactly the same reasons, exactly the same circumstances but the Government has simply turned a complete blind eye to their cries for help."

Ian Rintoul says the only difference is that the asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru managed to get to Indonesia or Australia by boat.

Hundreds of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Africa walk along the motorway towards the Austrian border.