Australia deliberately ignores refugee abuse..

Australia is deliberately ignoring the inhumane treatment of refugees held on the South Pacific island of Nauru as a means of deterring others from attempting the journey to Australia, two rights groups have said.

Under Canberra's immigration policy, people intercepted while trying to reach the country by boat are sent to a camp on Manus Island, in Papua New Guinea, or one in Nauru, both of which have been criticised for their harsh conditions and reports of abuse.

An estimated 1,200 men, women and children who sought refuge in Australia were transferred instead to Nauru as "part of an Australian government policy since 2012 to process asylum applications offshore and away from Australian legal jurisdiction," Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reported.

The joint report - compiled by researchers from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch who were granted rare access to processing facilities on Nauru in July - is based on interviews with 84 refugees and asylum seekers from countries including Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, in addition to service providers at the Australian-funded facility.

It alleges the Australian government could not be unaware of conditions at the centre.