Liberty First

The right to liberty is universal but the road is strewn with hardship for many. Together, let's strive to put LIBERTY first.

Be part of the change

There is no right to legal representation in Australia 

We are dedicated to freeing refugees and people who are stateless from immigration detention

There are an estimated 70.8 million forcibly displaced people worldwide and over 3.9 million people are stateless.

Between 2009 to 2018, Australia recognized or resettled only 0.89% of the 20.3 million refugees recognized globally.*

*Source: UNHCR 2020

Just over a thousand refugees & the stateless are locked up within the confines of eight notorious detention centres with limited legal representation.*

44

People freed

38

Cases won

1,450

Still in detention

We fight for the vulnerable

We are driven by empathy. Operating pro-bono, many of our activities rely completely on volunteer support as well as donations from individuals and organisations who share the same passion for freedom.

We create sustainable change

Representation

Advocacy

Education

 HR4A takes on the “too hard” or “impossible” cases, which have often exhausted traditional legal approaches. HR4A actively looks for aspects of cases that have not been pursued fully or can be challenged in an alternative fashion. 

 We challenge the current narrative around people seeking asylum through the success of our cases, submissions to human rights organisations and media engagement.

We push the system to ensure the basic human rights of people in detention are recognized and respected. 

 We believe that the current system of immigration detention needs to be brought to the attention of the Australian public along with the UN and other international human rights bodies, through public discourse & media focus.

To advance our cause, we are training the next generation of human rights lawyers through our internship program.

We pursue change through the system- 

and we don't give up!

We are relentless in pursuing responses, recommendations and opinions from international organisations and bodies in relation to our clients, as well as for all other asylum seekers and refugees held in Australian detention

ICC communique brings positive response

In 2016, HR4A with other lawyers and academics, submitted a Communique to the International Criminal Court.  The response has finally been received….four years later.

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Read the details here.

United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention opinions recommendations

Every single opinion issued by the UN WGAD in regard to Australia’s treatment of those in immigration detention in the last four years has been as a result of a HR4A submission. 

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In every case, the immediate release of the person and compensation for the suffering they have endured has been recommended.

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The opinions can be read here.

We celebrate every moment

Have a look at our other media appearances

Every life we touch turns to a fresh beginning