A UN rights expert on Friday criticized [press release] Australia’s treatment of migrants, saying the nation’s policies toward refugees has tarnished its human rights record. Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau [official profile], made the statement at the end of his 18-day visit to evaluate Australia’s immigration policies. He did credit Australia for many aspects of its policies, such as the country’s acceptance of 12,000 Syrian migrants last year. However, he condemned Australia’s mandatory and prolonged immigration detention periods for asylum seekers in Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island.

I am deeply concerned about the grave impact of the punitive approach—which creates so much uncertainty about the future—on the mental health of many migrants, some of whom are in prolonged and indefinite mandatory immigration detention onshore or in offshore regional processing centres, or living in community detention, or living under temporary protection visas.

Crépeau will present his country mission report to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2017.

The UN has recently expressed criticism on the immigration and human rights policies of a number of countries. Earlier this month the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that the governments of France and the UK are failing in their obligation [JURIST report] to protect refugee children in the Calais “Jungle” refugee camp. In October the UNHCR called 2016 the worst year for refugees [JURIST report] crossing the Mediterranean Sea as the death toll reached its highest point. In September UN experts urged member states [JURIST report] to protect women and girls in the movement of refugees and migrants by adhering to international human rights conventions and standards.