Australian court stops deportation of asylum seekers

Australia's High Court has stopped the authorities from deporting a boat-load of asylum seekers to Malaysia. A BBC News report notes that lawyers for the group of refugees argued that their transfer to Malaysia would be illegal. Judges ruled there was a ‘sufficiently serious question’, and ordered a halt to such transfers until a full hearing can be held later this month. The ruling could jeopardise Australia's deal to send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia over the next four years. Under the deal, Australia would take 4 000 refugees who have already been processed in Malaysia. But critics say refugees are often mistreated in Malaysia, which has not signed several human rights treaties. The group of asylum seekers was the first to be targeted under the deal. They were picked up in Australian waters and taken to Christmas Island, which hosts a controversial facility where hundreds of asylum seekers are kept in detention while their claims are processed, the report states.