United Nations observations on Australia's transfer arrangements with Nauru and Papua New Guinea (2012-present)

Latest Guidance

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR Note on the “Externalization” of International Protection, Position Paper, 28 May 2021
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Annex to UNHCR Note on the "Externalization" of International Protection: Policies and practices related to the externalization of international protection, 28 May 2021
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR warns against “exporting” asylum, calls for responsibility sharing for refugees, not burden shifting, Press Release, 19 May 2021

2023

• Filippo Grandi (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Correspondence to the Hon. Claire O’Neil MP, Minister for Home Affairs regarding re-designation of Nauru as a regional processing country pursuant to section 198AB of the Migration Act 1958, 4 February 2023

2022

• Committee Against Torture, Concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of Australia, CAT/C/AUS/CO/6, 5 December 2022
   
• Human Rights Committee, Evaluation of the information on follow-up to the concluding observations on Australia, CCPR/C/134/3/Add.1, 20 May 2022
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Multi-Country Representation in Canberra, News Comment on the Australia - New Zealand refugee deal, Press Release, 24 March 2022

2021

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR News Comment on Australia’s announced end to its offshore arrangement with PNG, Press Release, 7 October 2021
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR statement on 8 years of offshore asylum policy, Press Release, 19 July 2021
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Oral Statement on Australia’s UPR by Mr. Adrian Edwards UNHCR Representative, UNHCR at the 47th Session of the Human Rights Council, Press Release, 09 July 2021
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of Special Rapporteur Felipe González Morales, Report on means to address the human rights impact of push backs of migrants on land and at sea, A/HRC/47/30, 12 May 2021
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review – Nauru, A/HRC/47/17, 12 April 2021
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review – Australia, A/HRC/47/8, 24 March 2021

2020

• Human Rights Council, Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – Compilation on Australia, A/HRC/WG.6/37/AUS/2, 13 November 2020
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – Compilation on Nauru, A/HRC/WG.6/37/NRU/2, 30 October 2020
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Submission for the Universal Periodic Review: Australia (3^rd Cycle, 37^th Session), Parliamentary Submission, July 2020
   
• Felipe González Morales (Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants) Report on ending immigration detention of children and seeking adequate reception and care for them, A/75/183, 20 July 2020
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Submission for the Inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020, Parliamentary Submission, 11 June 2020

2019

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Statement on the Repeal of “Medevac” Legislation, 05 December 2019
   
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Concluding observations on the combined second and third periodic reports of Australia, CRPD/C/AUS/CO/2-3, 15 October 2019
   
• Michelle Bachelet (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Australia’s Role in Human Rights in a Changing World, 2019 Whitlam Oration, 9 October 2019
   
• Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Australia, CRC/C/AUS/CO/5-6, 30 September 2019
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Australia: UN experts urge immediate medical attention to migrants in its offshore facilities, 18 June 2019
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR Welcomes Life-Saving Action for Refugees in Medical Need, 13 February 2019

2018

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR Appeals for Urgent Medical Intervention by Australia, 29 November 2018
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR Urges Australia to Evacuate Offshore Facilities as Health Situation Deteriorates, Briefing at the Palais des Nations, 12 October 2018
   
• Michelle Bachelet (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), 39^th Session of the Human Rights Council: Opening Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, 10 September 2018
   
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Concluding observations on the eighth periodic report of Australia, CEDAW/C/AUS/CO/8, 20 July 2018
   
• Catherine Stubberfield (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, External Relations Officer, Regional Representation in Canberra), Five years of summoning strength and resourcefulness from neglect, The Guardian, 19 July 2018
   
• Andrej Mahecic (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Senior Communications Officer), UNHCR urges Australia to end separation of refugee families, Briefing Note, 17 July 2018
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Statement, Press Release, 22 May 2018
   
• Indrika Ratwatte (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Director of the Bureau for Asia and the Pacific), Press Briefing at the Palais des Nations, 4 April 2018
   
• Indrika Ratwatte (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Director of the Bureau for Asia and the Pacific), ‘I am old. I only wanted a small life. I have no hope left’, The Guardian, 27 March 2018
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, A/HRC/37/50, 26 February 2018
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders on his mission to Australia, A/HRC/37/51/Add.3, 28 February 2018

2017

• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Concluding observations on the eighteenth to twentieth periodic reports of Australia, CERD/C/AUS/CO/18-20, 26 December 2017
   
• Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of Australia, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, CCPR/C/AUS/CO/6, 1 December 2017
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR: Immediate action needed to avert further harm and tragedy on Manus Island, Press Release, 24 November 2017
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR calls for calm amid reports of forced removal of refugees on Manus Island, Press Release, 23 November 2017
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Urges Humane Approach on Manus Island, Press Release, Press Release, 10 November 2017
   
• Volker Türk (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection), UNHCR urges humane approach on Manus Island, Press Briefing at the Palais des Nations, 10 November 2017
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Urges Australia to Stop Unfolding Humanitarian Emergency, Press Release, 2 November 2017
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Statement: Australia must prevent looming humanitarian emergency in Papua New Guinea, Press Release, 18 October 2017
   
• Thomas Albrecht (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representative in Canberra), Australia’s refugee policy is a failure. This is not the time to shirk responsibility, The Guardian, 2 October 2017
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Australia should not coerce vulnerable people to return to harm, Press Release, 29 August 2017
   
• Human Rights Council, Unlawful death of refugees and migrants, Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, A/72/335, 15 August 2017
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR warns of escalating crisis on Manus Island, Press Release, 8 August 2017
   
• Filippo Grandi (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi calls on Australia to end harmful practice of offshore processing, Press Release, 24 July 2017
   
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding Observations on the fifth periodic report of Australia, E/C.12/AUS/CO/5, 11 July 2017
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants on his mission to Australia and the regional processing centres in Nauru, A/HRC/35/25/Add.3, 24 April 2017; 
   
• United Nations in Papua New Guinea, Press Release, 16 January 2017

2016

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Migration Legislation Amendment (Regional Processing Cohort) Bill 2016, Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, 16 November 2016
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Inquiry into the serious allegations of abuse, self-harm and neglect of asylum-seekers in relation to the Nauru Regional Processing Centre, and any like allegations in relation to the Manus Regional Processing Centre, Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, 16 November 2016
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR to endorse Australia-United States relocations as “offshore processing” arrangements fail refugees, Press Release, 13 November 2016
   
• Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding observations on the initial report of Nauru, Convention on the Rights of the Child, CRC/C/NRU/CO/1, 28 October 2016
   
• Ravina Shamdasani (Spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Press briefing notes on Nauru, Yemen and Democratic Republic of the Congo, 12 August 2016
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR: Immediate solutions needed for Nauru, Press Release, Press Release, 10 August 2016
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR calls for immediate movement of refugees and asylum-seekers to humane conditions, Press Release, 2 May 2016
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Detaining asylum seekers and refugees in offshore detention centres subject to international obligations, despite High Court decision, Press Release, 5 February 2016
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, Australia, A/HRC/31/14, 13 January 2016

2015

• Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Interactive Dialogue on the Human Rights of Migrants at the 29th session of the Human Rights Council, 15 June 2015
   
• Human Rights Council, Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, Australia, A/HRC/WG.6/23/AUS/2, 31 August 2015
   
• Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Human Rights Council Informal Briefing on Burundi, Tunisia, Migration crises in Europe and South-East Asia, and South Sudan, 26 May 2015
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Submission to the Senate Select Committee on the Recent Allegations Relating to Conditions and Circumstances at the Regional Processing Centre in Nauru, 27 April 2015
   
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, 5 March 2015, A/HRC/28/68/Add.1
   
• Human Rights Council, Opinion adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention: No. 52/2014 (Australia and Papua New Guinea), A/HRC/WGAD/2014/52, 13 February 2015

2014

• Committee Against Torture, Concluding observations on the combined fourth and fifth reports of Australia, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Unhuman or degrading Treatment or Punishment, CAT/C/AUS/CO/4-5, 23 December 2014
   
• Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein (High Commissioner for Human Rights), Human Rights Council 27th Session, 8 September 2014
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Inquiry into the incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre from 16 February to 18 February 2014, Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee, 7 May 2014

2013

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR: some progress, but shortcomings still evident at Manus Island Regional Processing Centre, Press Release, 12 July 2013
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Monitoring Visit to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, Mission Report, 11-13 June 2013
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR finds significant legal and operational inadequacies at Manus Island, Press Release, 4 February 2013
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Mission to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, Mission Report, 15-17 January 2013

2012

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Mission to the Republic of Nauru, Mission Report, 3-5 December 2012
   
• António Guterres (Former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Correspondence to the Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Former Minister for Immigration and Citizenship of Australia regarding Manus Island Detention Centre, 9 October 2012
   
• António Guterres (Former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Correspondence to the Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Former Minister for Immigration and Citizenship of Australia regarding Nauru Detention Centre, 5 September 2012 
   
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR calls for compassion and legal principles to be at centre of policy responses, Press Release, 12 July 2012