Australia's Human Rights Law Centre is joining calls for all refugees and asylum seekers on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island and Nauru to be evacuated immediately and brought to Australia.
Protesters call for immigration detention centers on Nauru and Manus Island to close in Melbourne, in August 2016. Photo: AFP
A protest march took place in Sydney, Australia on Saturday to protest against the treatment of the refugees by Australia's Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and the US President, Donald Trump.
More than 60 refugee support groups have signed an "Open Statement" calling for both major parties to form a bipartisan commitment to evacuate the camps and bring people to safety.
The centre's director of legal advocacy Daniel Webb said the Australian government could not just sit back and hope for the best and must show some leadership.
Mr Webb said the only humane solution was to bring all the refugees to Australia and end their limbo and uncertainty.