Australia’s Offshore Detention of Refugees and Migrants

The International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic has partnered with Australian and international advocacy groups to study the legal and policy implications of Australia’s system of offshore detention of asylum seekers and other refugees in Papua New Guinea, and on Nauru.

In the Spring of 2016, a faculty-led team of student researchers traveled to Australia to meet with stakeholders, advocates and Australian officials. The team also met with many refugees in onshore detention centers who had been detained on Manus Island and on Nauru. As part of this work, the Clinic has engaged a range of stakeholders, including private companies involved in running the detention centers. In this ongoing project, IHRCRC students are examining the extent and scope of potential civil and criminal liability for individuals involved in various aspects of the Australian detention policies.

The Clinic’s work with one stakeholder is highlighted in this article in The Guardian here.