Pearson said the negative impact of offshore processing policies on asylum seekers themselves had been documented by human rights organisations, the United Nations, Australia’s parliament, and the media.
“Harsh refugee policies may score domestic political points,” she said, “but the human toll is unacceptable.”
The HRW report says Australia’s steps towards a referendum on constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians, and some improved health and socio-economic indicators, are positive developments. But Indigenous Australians still suffer significant and persistent disadvantage.
“Indigenous Australians account for only 3% of Australia’s population [but] they account for 27% of Australia’s prison population. In part because they are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, Indigenous Australians are more likely to face stigma and discrimination in employment.”
Indigenous Australians die, on average, 10 to 12 years earlier than non-Indigenous Australians, have an infant mortality rate almost twice the non-Indigenous rate, and suffer disproportionately from preventable diseases such as diabetes and respiratory illnesses.
Pearson told Guardian Australia that with the world in a tumultuous state and the rise of new terrorism threats such as Isis, there was a temptation for governments to respond with wide-ranging anti-terrorist laws.
But Australia’s suite of counter-terrorism legislation was “overboard” and would “infringe on freedoms of expression and movement”. New laws could define sharing links on social media as “advocating terrorism”, and could see people prosecuted simply for travelling to certain “declared areas”.
But in particular the National Security Legislation Amendment Act, which could see government whistleblowers, journalists and activists jailed for up to 10 years for disclosing information about special intelligence operations, would have a “chilling effect, leading to cover-ups”, Pearson said.
“Australia’s new counter-terrorism laws mean journalists, whistleblowers and activists will risk prison for certain disclosures – even if it’s in the public interest,” she said.