SYDNEY, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Australia is ignoring inhumane treatment of asylum seekers at its Nauru immigration camp in favour of deterring others from arriving at the country by boat, two human rights groups claim.
The Pacific island nation of Nauru in July let one researcher each from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International onto the island for a 12-day research trip.
The joint investigation based off interviews with 84 refugees and asylum seekers from the war-torn Middle East and service providers concluded Australian authorities could not have been unaware of their processing facilities failings, such as the denial of adequate medical care and welfare.
"The Australian government's failure to address serious abuses appears to be a deliberate policy to deter further asylum seekers from arriving in the country by boat," Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru, most of whom have been held there for three years, routinely face neglect by health workers and other service providers who have been hired by the Australian government, as well as frequent unpunished assaults."
Though the number of asylum seekers trying to reach Australian shores pales in comparison to those seeking refuge in Europe, Australian authorities instead turn back asylum seeker boats to their country of origin at sea - where possible - or transfer those seeking refuge to one of two offshore processing centers in the Pacific island of Nauru, or on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
Australia's immigration department refuted the report's allegations and said they were not consulted for the report's preparation.
"We strongly refute many of the allegations in the report and would encourage Amnesty International to contact the Department before airing allegations of this kind," a spokesperson told Xinhua in a statement.
The company contracted to operate Australia's immigration processing center, Broadspectrum told the two rights organisations it "firmly rejected" the allegations it did not respect human rights, while healthcare provider "strongly refuted" the report's claims.
