Aust asylum policy should be condemned

WE learnt from SBS News on Wednesday that Australia was going to close down its offshore asylum processing detention centre on Manus Island.
That is not out of any altruistic concern for the welfare and well-being of the refugees and asylum seekers who have been left languishing in limbo at the offshore detention centre.
This is evident by the fact that the Nauru offshore detention centre remains open and Australia has made it clear that there is no change in its official asylum processing programme.
That, of course, is a crying shame because even the United Nations has condemned the cruel, inhumane and breach of international refugee and human rights norms that the Australian policy manifests.

Rajend Naidu,
Sydney