The AASW Code of Ethics includes a commitment to respect for human dignity and worth, and to social justice and human rights. These principles underpin our support of the elimination of the policies of mandatory detention, and other forms of harsh, punitive or discriminatory treatment of people seeking asylum and refugees. They apply to our advocacy for humane treatment and adequate support for people in onshore as well as offshore processing centres, and in the community. Our work aligns with multiple United Nations conventions, including the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (AASW, 2012). 

The AASW has advocated successfully for the removal of children from offshore detention facilities. We continue to advocate for the closure of all offshore detention, and demand that all Australian Commonwealth governments into the future fulfill their obligations as signatories of the above mentioned Human Rights Conventions, among others.