Starving for freedom: an exploration of Australian government policies, human rights obligations and righting the wrong for those seeking asylum

Abstract

Australia is a signatory to a number of United Nations conventions and protocols which prescribe the responsibilities of nations which receive asylum-seekers. While Australia receives very few asylum-seekers in a global context, its policy of mandatory immigration detention, for those who arrive by boat, has unnecessarily led to long-lasting and devastating mental health consequences. This treatment results in Australia systemically breaching a range of recognised human rights agreements, conventions and protocols. It is a matter of concern that these human rights violations have historically received bi-partisan political support. Reactions to this treatment have seen some asylum-seekers participate in hunger strike protests. This has revealed a lack of appropriate procedures for managing these non-violent protests, which has resulted in further human rights violations. This research paper importantly examines Australia's human rights obligations to asylum-seekers, finds that their treatment is inconsistent with these obligations and discusses the hunger strike protests which result from this treatment.