Signs of the times : the migration of catastrophe

Australia's routine, indefinite detention of asylum seekers in offshore facilities that are overcrowded and unsanitary has had serious results: significant numbers of detainees have engaged in self-harm and/ or attempted suicide. There has also been some eye-opening research into the very serious health impacts upon those in detention, especially with respect to mental health. Australia has, understandably, been attracting both domestic and international condemnation for its stance. In August 2013, the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations stated that the indefinite detention of refugees was "inflicting serious psychological harm" which amounted to inhuman, degrading, or cruel treatment.