The Australian Government has been urged to rethink its “abusive” policies on asylum seekers and refugees, with an international human rights organisation highlighting its “failure to respect international standards”.

In its annual report published overnight, Human Rights Watch said Australia had a solid record of protecting civil and political rights, but its treatment of asylum seekers and refugees was taking a “heavy human toll”.

In a statement accompanying the report, the organisation’s Asia director Brad Adams called on Australia to redeem its reputation.

Mr Adams cited the Government’s “harsh” turn-back policy, as well as mandatory detention for unauthorised arrivals and allegations of sexual assault within immigration detention centres.

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“Australia needs to seriously rethink its abusive refugee policies and take steps to restore its international standing as a rights-respecting country,” he said.

Comment has been sought from Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, whose department recorded a $1 billion budget blowout last year as it managed the legacy caseload of asylum seekers.

Refugees are also held on Christmas Island at a detention centre. Photo: ABC

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection was allocated an additional $499.7 million to manage the caseload in the mid-year financial update, with another $35.2 million pledged towards the resettlement of an additional 12,000 refugees fleeing Syria and Iraq.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull needed to intervene.

In a statement, Senator Hanson-Young said Mr Turnbull should address the “very serious criticisms”.

“For Mr Turnbull to simply stick his head in the sand and hope no-one notices that he’s overseeing this brutal and torturous regime isn’t good enough,” she said.

“People seeking asylum come to us because we are strong enough to protect them. We should get on with doing just that.”

The Human Rights Watch report also cited criticism from United Nations experts and foreign governments, adding that senior Australian Government officials “dismissed such criticism and even attacked and tried to discredit institutions” including Australia’s Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in the wake of its inquiry.

“Senior Government officials made personal and unsubstantiated attacks on the credibility and integrity of the president of the AHRC, Professor Gillian Triggs, including calling for her resignation,” it said.

“The chairman of the International Coordinating Committee, the UN body responsible for accrediting national human rights institutions, described these attacks as intimidating and undermining the independence of the AHRC.”

The report follows news that the period of detention for asylum seekers in both onshore and offshore centres has blown out under the Abbott and Turnbull governments, with a steady increase since May.

Government figures show a record high late last year, at an average of 446 days in November and 445 days in December.

There were 23.3 per cent of detainees who spent more than 750 days in detention.

– ABC