New attack on Australian asylum policy

Human rights campaigners have sharply criticised Australia for its treatment of asylum-seekers, saying it violates international standards.

In a new report, released to coincide with International Human Rights Day, the New York-based organisation, Human Rights Watch, said the Australian authorities should deal with asylum-seekers more compassionately, as many had fled persecution and risked their lives to get to Australia.

Most arrive illegally by boat and are taken to remote detention centres while their applications for refugee status are reviewed.

The Australian Navy has been criticised for intercepting boats at sea to prevent asylum-seekers from landing.

The Australian government dismissed the Human Rights Watch report as inaccurate and said it amounted to a defence of people-smugglers.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service