Migrants are being abused in Australia’s detention centers. Now it’s illegal to talk about it

Allegations of physical and sexual abuse of asylum seekers — including children — in Australian detention centers have horrified the world. 

So instead of, you know, bringing an end to their appalling treatment, Prime Minister Tony Abbott's government is trying to stop people from hearing about it. 

Under the Border Force Act — effective this week — “entrusted persons,” which includes people contracted by the government to work in its onshore and offshore detention centers, could face a two-year jail sentence if they publicly discuss what they witness inside the facilities without the permission of the government.

But more than 40 current and former detention center workers, including doctors, nurses, teachers, psychiatrists and social workers, have already defied the new law.

In an open letter addressed to Abbott, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and Opposition Leader Bill Shorton, they said they would not be deterred from discussing the “deplorable state of human rights in immigration detention” and dared the government to prosecute them.

“We have advocated, and will continue to advocate, for the health of those for whom we have a duty of care, despite the threats of imprisonment, because standing by and watching sub-standard and harmful care, child abuse and gross violations of human rights is not ethically justifiable," the letter said.

“If we witness child abuse in Australia we are legally obliged to report it to child protection authorities. If we witness child abuse in detention centers, we can go to prison for attempting to advocate for them effectively. Internal reporting mechanisms such as they are have failed to remove children from detention; a situation that is itself recognized as a form of systematic child abuse.

“Evidence of the devastating effects of institutional self-protection and blindness to child abuse has been presented before the current royal commission. We are determined not to collude with a system that repeats these same mistakes."

The letter went on to say: “We are aware that in publishing this letter we may be prosecuted under the Border Force Act and we challenge the department to prosecute so that these issues may be discussed in open court and in the full view of the Australian public.”

Angry Australians have taken to social media to praise the detention center workers for their courage and to slam the new secrecy law.

"What a utterly shameful day to be an Australian," wrote Nick Snelling on Facebook. 

Mark Gambino posted: "While a horrific event, the response couldn't be more perfect. A rebellion like this proves that people won't be silenced."

Even before the new law was introduced with bipartisan support, conditions inside Australia's detention centers were shrouded in secrecy, with workers forced to sign confidentiality agreements.

Yet shocking accounts of violence, self-harm, hunger strikes and attempted suicides have been getting out — too many for the government's liking. 

There have also been disturbing allegations of physical and sexual abuse of asylum seekers and harsh living conditions, which have sparked outrage among Australians and drawn scathing criticism from human rights groups and the United Nations.

There have been calls to close the detention centers on the Pacific island of Nauru and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, which the government uses to process applications for asylum.

In March, the UN published a report that accused Australia of subjecting asylum seekers to "cruel," "inhuman" and "degrading" treatment in violation of the Convention against Torture. Abbott responded by saying he was "sick of being lectured by the United Nations." 

“The best thing you can do to uphold the universal decencies of mankind, the best thing that you can do to ensure that the best values of our world are realized is to stop the boats and that’s exactly what we have done," Abbott said in defense of the government's controversial immigration policies.  

Clearly a lot of people disagree.