Australian High Court rules in favour of off shore detention
The SMH reports:
The High Court has ruled that Australia’s offshore detention regime at Nauru and Manus Island is lawful, dashing the hopes of asylum seekers that detention centres would be closed and they would be settled in Australia.
This ruling will save lives. The hardline policy has stopped hundreds of people from drowning by trying to reach Australia.
Here’s the deaths by drowning by year:
- 2015: 0
- 2014: 0
- 2013: 236
- 2012: 421
- 2011: 235
- 2010: 168
- 2009: 132
The drop to zero for two years in a row is not a coincidence. It is a direct reflection of removing the incentive for people to pay tens of thousand of dollars to people smugglers.
The full bench of the High Court on Wednesday ruled that the federal government has the power under the constitution to detain people in other countries, finding that its conduct was within the law.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been under pressure to allow child asylum seekers to stay in Australia regardless of the court’s decision. The Greens said on Wednesday that forcing their return amounted to “child abuse”.
No child abuse is when they drown at sea because they are incentivised to try and sail to Australia.