"If I could change one thing about Australia..."
If I could change one thing about Australia, I would change the poor treatment of the Asylum Seekers from war-infested countries. In fact, Australia is the only country in the world to mandate the detention of Asylum Seekers. This Anti-Asylum policy has been at the spotlight of international criticism by various humanitarian organisations, calling the actions of the Australian Government "an act of discrimination and racism".
Australia, the "free country". Australia has always been a popular travel destination for asylum seekers, accepting over half a million refugees from 1945 to 1990 into the country. However, during the early 1990s, with the introduction of the policy known as the "Mandatory Detention" policy of the Keating Government, asylum seekers were denied entry into the country if they didn't possess valid documentation and instead, they were detained for …show more content…
This was promptly put into action after the September 9/11 attacks. This policy prevented refugees from landing in Australia, but instead, transporting these refugees to different detention centres scattered around the Pacific Ocean where they were kept until their refugee status was confirmed. The offshore processing centres were the result of international criticism, and detainees were subject to harsh and inhumane treatment.
The decision caused international backlash from other nations and the UN. Like, even North Korea, of all people said that they were "seriously concerned at the continued maltreatment of and violence against the refugees and asylum seekers." In 2015, a report submitted by the United Nations found that the treatment and "indefinite detention" of asylum seekers in Australia did not comply with its International Human Rights Obligations and was breaching international