As preempted in this blog, Labor's recent toughening of its stance towards asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan breaches international treaties.
Michael Gordon, writing in the Age, reports
" THE federal government has breached three international treaties and may have broken its own domestic laws by suspending the processing of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, according to an opinion prepared by three Melbourne lawyers.
It says the dramatic toughening of border protection policy discriminates on the basis of race and country of origin, in contravention of Australia's international obligations.
Prepared for the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, the opinion will be sent today to community and advocacy groups that have expressed alarm at the policy.
At least one, the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre, is considering a challenge to the legality of the suspensions after launching a High Court challenge to the government's off shore processing regime this month."
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