The federal government's hardline new asylum-seeker processing policy skirts its international obligations, Amnesty International says.
The human rights group's 2006 annual report, released on Tuesday, criticised Australia's treatment of asylum seekers, the government's counter-terrorism laws, and its handling of David Hicks' case.
Amnesty raises particular concerns about the government's new system for processing asylum claims.
Under the changes, all asylum seekers arriving by boat will be sent to offshore detention centres.
Amnesty secretary-general Irene Khan said the move would violate the United Nations' refugee convention.
"That, we feel, would be a violation of the UN convention on refugees and Australia's obligations under that convention," she told ABC radio.
Ms Khan, who once worked for UN High Commissioner for Refugees and is a recipient of the Sydney Peace Prize, said sending asylum seekers to offshore centres could be an abuse of their rights.
"I think Australia would be skirting its obligations there and, moreover, Australia would be tarnishing what has been a very good record on receiving refugees and hospitality towards them," she said.
"If people are sent to remote locations, if they are separated from family, if they are left there without solution in detention-like conditions, then it is certainly an abuse of their rights."
She was also concerned about the precedent set by such a policy shift.
"Australia's approach to treating refugees like this will send a very dangerous message to its neighbours in Asia," she said.
Amnesty's national president in Australia, Russell Thirgood, said the government was effectively asylum-proofing Australia.
"We just have to look at the way that we're treating asylum seekers and potential refugees in this country - basically asylum-proofing the nation so that you can't reach the mainland, and then sending people offshore and we say that is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the refugee convention," he told ABC radio.
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