5 February 2026
In December 2025, the Refugee Council of Australia made a submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, raising our serious concerns regarding Australia’s policies on offshore processing, the turning back of boats, and third-country deportation arrangements.
Our submission highlights:
- Australia’s secret deal with Nauru
- well–documented evidence of human rights violations and ill–treatment of individuals detained in Papua New Guinea and Nauru
- expert findings that Australia retains jurisdiction and ongoing human rights obligations for people transferred offshore
- concerns regarding allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds linked to the Nauru deal
- fears that people, including members of the NZYQ cohort, could be transferred onward from Nauru to face serious harm in their countries of origin
Read our submission below:
