Australia

Australia is a vibrant multicultural democracy with a strong record of protecting civil and political rights, but serious human rights problems persist. The government’s failure to meaningfully address the significant overrepresentation of First Nations people in the criminal justice system and cruel treatment of asylum seekers are grave rights violations that tarnish the country’s global standing. The federal government still sends asylum seekers arriving by boat to offshore detention and returns boats carrying asylum seekers to their countries of departure. The government actively supports the expansion of fossil fuel industries, rejecting responsibility for emissions created by Australia’s vast coal and gas exports. Australian states have also passed laws targeting climate protesters.