Australia’s High Court Declares Indefinite Detention of Immigrants Illegal

In a landmark decision, Australia’s High Court has ruled that the indefinite detention of immigrants is illegal, Ali MC reports for Aljazeera. Following the decision, 80 people – refugees as well as people held by immigration for other reasons – were released immediately into the community, with at least 92 more eligible for release. Experts say 300 more cases could also be affected by the decision. On average, refugees have been detained for an average of 708 days either on the Australian mainland or in offshore detention facilities in remote islands such as Nauru. While the arbitrary detention of asylum seekers and refugees is a breach of international law, successive Australian governments have continued to detain refugees arbitrarily since a 2004 decision found it legal under Australian domestic law.