Analysis: Furore over Australian detention of immigrant children

MELBOURNE, 5 March 2013 (IRIN) - Australia is failing in its international obligations to protect the rights of close to 2,000 children now in immigration detention, say rights groups and legal experts. full report

Activists rap Australia’s offshore processing of migrants

PERTH, 14 January 2013 (IRIN) - Human rights groups have strongly condemned conditions at Australia’s two offshore processing centres for asylum seekers on the Pacific islands of Nauru and Manus. full report

DISASTERS: Asia’s 2012 figures and trends

BANGKOK, 11 December 2012 (IRIN) - The good news: fewer people died from natural disasters in Asia in 2012 than in previous years. The bad news: between January and October, natural disasters still claimed more lives here than anywhere else in the world - and experts predict the trend will continue as populations and industries expand in a region that already houses the world’s largest number of urban residents. full report

MIGRATION: Greece - “an unsafe environment for migrants”

BANGKOK, 17 August 2012 (IRIN) - Human rights groups in Greece have condemned recent police crackdowns on undocumented migrants, inhumane detention conditions, and hate crimes committed with impunity. full report

ASIA: Asbestos - deadly but not yet banned

BANGKOK, 21 March 2012 (IRIN) - Even though public health experts recognize how deadly asbestos can be, its use is on the rise in the construction industry throughout Asia, according to the US Geological Survey. full report

AFGHANISTAN-IRAN: Mehdi, “My hands were hurting because the handcuffs were too tight”

ISLAM QALA, 27 February 2012 (IRIN) - In an attempt to find long-term solutions for the estimated 1.4 million unregistered Afghans living within its borders, Iran adopted a legalization scheme last year that paved the way for Afghans to enter Iran legally with work visas. full report

ASIA: Isolation, poverty loom for an aging population

BANGKOK, 14 February 2012 (IRIN) - With 60 percent of the world’s population, Asia has one of the largest concentrations globally of aging persons, creating a host of potential challenges, experts warn. full report

INDONESIA: Sayed Ahmed Abdellatif, "I'm ready to die at sea"

BOGOR, 14 February 2012 (IRIN) - Egyptian asylum-seeker Sayed Ahmed Abdellatif, married with six children, says he is ready to risk everything to reach Australia - even his family. full report

MIGRATION: Asylum-seekers in Australia suspend hunger strike

BANGKOK, 25 January 2012 (IRIN) - About 150 asylum-seekers in Australia have suspended their hunger strike after accusing the government of reneging on a promise for community detention and bridging visas for long-term detainees who posed no risk, activists confirm. full report