Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS) welcomes a landmark decision from the UN Human Rights Committee, which found Australia violated the human rights of a group of refugee children. The decision comes nine years after RACS lodged a complaint on behalf of a group of unaccompanied children who were arbitrarily detained on Nauru.

We are deeply concerned by the ongoing attacks in media and political commentary on Ministerial Direction 99 and independent decision-making in character matters by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. These attacks are misleading and discriminatory and threaten the rule of law.

RACS is deeply concerned about the legislation rushed through Federal Parliament yesterday, in response to last week’s High Court ruling in NZYQ that indefinite detention is unconstitutional.