Legal Action by Detained Refugees in Papua New Guinea for Transfer to Australia

More than 750 refugees who are forcibly held in Papua New Guinea have initiated legal actions seeking a court ruling in the country declaring this practice illegal, in hopes of being transferred to Australia. According to AFP, the Australian lawyers representing these 757 refugees have requested an urgent court ruling from the High Court of Australia on Wednesday, 15th of Ordibehesht. In their legal filing, the governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea are accused of blatant human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and committing international crimes. The Australian government insists that it will not accept refugees attempting to reach the country by boat and instead transfers them to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru Island. Most of these refugees are living in very difficult conditions, which Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has acknowledged, yet he has emphasized that refugees in the camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru will not be allowed to transfer to Australia. Recently, an Iranian refugee and a Somali refugee have committed self-immolation in these camps, which has once again drawn the attention of human rights activists to the conditions of detained refugees in these centers. Additionally, last week's ruling by the High Court of Papua New Guinea declaring these camps illegal has provided further grounds for refugee rights activists to call for their closure. Meanwhile, the lawyers of the 757 detained refugees on Manus Island have called for an immediate inspection of this facility. They have also stated that they are trying to prevent the possible transfer of these refugees from Manus to Nauru.