Iranian Embassy Protests 'Violation of Refugee Rights' in Australian Detention Centers

Following the release of the 'Nauru documents' and one day after the announcement of the upcoming closure of the Manus Island camp, the Islamic Republic's embassy in Canberra, Australia, issued a statement protesting the 'violation of the rights of Iranian refugees' in detention centers managed by this country. In the statement published on Wednesday, August 17, on the official website of the embassy, there is deep concern expressed over the 'dire, indefensible, and inappropriate conditions of refugee detention facilities' in the Nauru and Manus camps. According to the statement, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister, also protested this situation during his meeting with the new Australian ambassador to Iran on August 15. The Nauru camp has been in the headlines for the past three weeks due to revelations by the British newspaper The Guardian regarding the 'Nauru documents,' increasing pressure on the Australian government. Nevertheless, Australia remains adamant that it will continue its previous policy and even with the closure of the Manus camp, it does not intend to transfer a single refugee to its territory. According to Australian immigration laws, anyone who arrives illegally by boat to apply for asylum will be sent to a camp on the islands of Nauru and Manus in Papua New Guinea. Under these laws, these illegal migrants will never be deemed eligible for resettlement in Australia, a policy that the country's immigration minister has stated will not change 'under any circumstances.' Now, the Islamic Republic's embassy in Canberra, in its first public reaction to the situation of Iranian refugees in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, after expressing its concern and protest, has called for the 'immediate closure of the two illegal detention centers, Nauru and Manus.' The Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ruled in May that the forced detention of refugees by the Australian government on Manus Island is unconstitutional and illegal. The Iranian embassy's statement also requested the Australian government to encourage Iranian refugees to 'voluntarily return' to Iran by providing 'necessary arrangements.' The statement does not contain any explanation regarding these 'necessary arrangements.' It also emphasizes that the Iranian government only supports the 'voluntary and non-coerced return of Iranian citizens.' This point was also emphasized by the Iranian Foreign Ministry last year, which requested embassies to 'facilitate the voluntary return of Iranians to the country.' In this context, the death of a young Iranian refugee in Australia after self-immolation and another refugee's self-immolation in the Nauru refugee camp have been reported. Human Rights Watch has called for a timeline for the closure of the Manus camp. The Guardian published documents detailing the abuse of Iranian refugee children on Nauru Island. The Nauru government's reaction to the document revelations was that 'refugees have been toyed with.'