07/18/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/17/2025 20:03
18 July 2025
On the 12th anniversary of Australia's offshore processing and detention policy, Amnesty International Australia is urging the Australian Government to end the devastating chapter of human rights abuse.
For over a decade, people seeking safety have been subjected to prolonged detention and left facing uncertain futures.
We call on the Government to immediately evacuate the remaining refugees and their families still trapped in Papua New Guinea, and to permanently dismantle the offshore processing regime that has caused immense and lasting harm.
As a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Australia has an obligation to protect those seeking safety, not to subject them to indefinite limbo and ongoing human rights abuses.
Twelve years on, over 30 people in Papua New Guinea and 90 people in Nauru remain in offshore processing detention facilities, facing uncertainty in securing a future. Many others are stuck in Australia on temporary bridging visas, having spent more than a decade in visa limbo, separated from their families, denied the chance to rebuild their lives, and with no clear pathway to permanent protection or family reunification.
This injustice must end
Despite the clear and lasting harm, the Australian Government continues to deny responsibility, refusing to offer medical care or resettlement for those left behind.
This injustice must end. The Australian Government must acknowledge the damage caused by this cruel policy, ensure immediate safety for those still suffering, and commit to a permanent and humane solution for all affected.
Thanush Selvarasa, Human Rights Activist and refugee detained on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, shares his story:
"I was at sea, searching for safety, when the Australian Prime Minister announced a policy that changed my life forever. I had no idea that the country I once believed in a country I saw as a beacon of hope had lost its humanity toward people like me, fleeing war and persecution.
"When I arrived on Christmas Island on 26 July 2013, the very first words I heard from an immigration officer were: 'You are not welcome here. You will never call Australia home.' Those words marked the beginning of an ordeal I could never have imagined.
"When I arrived on Christmas Island on 26 July 2013, the very first words I heard from an immigration officer were: 'You are not welcome here. You will never call Australia home.'"
Thanush Selvarasa, Human Rights Activist and refugee detained on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea"Against my will, I was sent to Papua New Guinea, where I spent five long years in some of the harshest and most inhumane conditions. I was not a criminal. My only so-called 'offence' was seeking safety and a chance to live, a consequence of Australia's cruel political decisions.
"These policies have stolen years from my life. They have torn me away from my family, stripped me of my future, and left me with wounds both visible and invisible that will never fully heal.
"Despite being officially recognised as a refugee, I still have no future. I now live in Australia on an ongoing bridging visa. I have no pathway to permanent residency, no opportunity to reunite with my loved ones, and no certainty about what tomorrow will bring.
"This policy must end. It has already taken far too many lives, including those of dear friends. It's time for Australia's leaders to restore humanity and hope. We deserve the chance to live with dignity, rebuild our lives, and finally move forward."
Zaki Haidari, Strategic Campaigner at Amnesty International Australia says:
"The situation for refugees still trapped in Papua New Guinea is dire. They are living in Port Moresby, one of the most dangerous cities in the world, where it is unsafe to even walk down the street. Many have been assaulted by local gangs, suffering serious injuries.
"With high unemployment, finding work is almost impossible. They survive on an inadequate allowance that barely covers basic needs, leaving them struggling to put food on the table for their families.
"Worst of all, these men remain in limbo, unable to rebuild their lives, unable to reunite with loved ones, still waiting after 12 long years for resettlement in a safe and welcoming country."
Dr Kevin Sweeney, Convenor of the National Amnesty Refugee Network says:
"The health of those remaining in Papua New Guinea is steadily deteriorating. They all have significant physical illnesses as a result of their detention and ill treatment. Many have serious mental health problems as a result to their indefinite entrapment in Papua New Guinea. Nine of them are seriously ill and do not have no access to adequate medical care in Papua New Guinea.
"There is no question that their detention in Papua New Guinea has caused serious harm to them and that harm continues every additional day that they are held there. They should all be brought to Australia so that they are safe, so they can receive adequate medical care, and so that they are removed from the situation that is causing them harm."
Twelve years ago, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reaffirmed the Australian Government's commitment to offshore detention, targeting people who arrived by boat in search of safety.
As a result, more than 30 refugees and people seeking asylum remain trapped in Papua New Guinea, having been forcibly transferred there in 2013 and 2014. This stands as one of the most shameful chapters in Australia's history- and it is still ongoing.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all - and we can only do it with your support.
Act now or learn more about our Refugee Rights work.