Allegations of human rights violations in Nauru migrant centers spark concern: UN agency

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urged Australian and Nauruan authorities to end the migrant processing model currently in place as soon as possible in light of systemic allegations of human rights violations.

Australian authorities turn back asylum seeker boats to their country of origin when possible or transfer those seeking refuge to one of two offshore processing centers located in the Pacific island of Nauru and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

"We are extremely concerned about the serious allegations of violence, sexual assault, degrading treatment and self-harm contained in more than 1,000 incident reports from offshore processing centers on Nauru, many of which reportedly involved children," OHCHR said in a statement.

"Many of the migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in these centers were transferred by Australia to Nauru more than three years ago and have been living in very difficult conditions ever since," it added.

The practise has been condemned by international human rights groups, with OHCHR calling for both countries to find a viable alternative to deal with the influx of migrants and refugees.

"We have consistently called on the authorities in Nauru and Australia to put an end to the model of processing and keeping migrants offshore," OHCHR explained.

"We call on Australia and Nauru to expeditiously end the immigration detention of children, and urge the authorities to institute human rights-compliant alternatives," it added. Endit