Asylum Seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran Cry as Indonesian Officers Force Them to Leave the Australian Vessel Hermia
IN PHOTO: Asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran cry as Indonesian officers force them to leave the Australian vessel Hermia docked at Indah Kiat port in Merak, Indonesia's Banten province in this April 9, 2012 file photo. REUTERS/Aulia Pratama

Australian MP Andrew Wilkie has requested the international criminal court to probe Australia's asylum seeker policy. Wilkie has named Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and the rest of the cabinet for allegedly committing crimes against humanity.

In a letter to the international court, Wilkie also included his application to take the Abbott government to court. He accused Mr Abbott and his cabinet members of involvement in forcing to relocate asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Wilkie claimed Australia's tough policy on asylum seekers was against the Refugee Convention, Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Guardian reports that it was still not clear whether the international court prosecutor will accept the case. If the ICC will take Wilkie's case, Mr Abbott and Morrison may be called to testify before the court. Wilkie blamed the Australian government for pursuing policies designed to stop people from illegally entering Australia. He mentioned the poor conditions asylum seekers were being forced to endure.

According to Wilkie, he was force to take action against the Australian government because he thinks there was a lack of movement on the issue of asylum seekers. He believes the issue has been going on for quite some time. Wilkie said in his letter that seeking the attention of the international court was the next step to take.

Previously, the Coalition led by Mr Abbott had insisted that its asylum seeker resettlement policy and offshore processing had prevented refugees from arriving in Australia by boat. In a press release, Morrison had revealed that the government's Operation Sovereign Borders had saved lives under the Abbott government.

Meanwhile, Australia's Liberal Party slammed Wilkie's decision to seek the help of the ICC to prosecute the Abbott government. The Herald Sun reports that Bass MP Andrew Nikolic thinks Wilkie's letter is "embarrassing." He said Australia is a sovereign country developing its own policies in line with national laws and international commitments. The Liberal MP claims Wilkie's statements were "vague." He believes most Australians will see it as against national interest.