KINGSTON, Jamaica — Accusing the Government of “racist” and “unlawful” policies, advocacy group Stand Up for Jamaica is decrying the treatment of Haitian refugees following the repatriation of 50 Haitians on Tuesday.

In a recent statement, the group said, “The Jamaican Government’s racist policies toward Haitian asylum seekers are not only unjust and inhumane — they are unlawful. Stand Up for Jamaica joins other human rights organisations in calling on the government to respect and uphold human rights, honour its obligations under international treaties and respect human beings with dignity.”

“Jamaica has ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. We are legally and morally obligated not to return anyone to a country where their life or freedom is threatened. Yet, we are watching our leaders do just that – repeatedly,” it continued.

The group went further to accuse the Government of obstructing those working to help migrants.

“Legal access is being denied. Human rights defenders are being shut out of detention centres. Lawyers like Malene Alleyne of Freedom Imaginaries are barred from seeing clients. This is not just unjust — it is unlawful and shameful,” it contended.

Referencing a May 18 landing of over 40 Haitians in Portland, where the French-creole migrants were summarily detained upon their arrival to the country, the group said: “They have not committed a crime. They came seeking safety. And instead, they are being treated like criminals. No due process. No asylum hearings. No compassion. The conditions in which they are being held are appalling.”

READ: 50 Haitians who entered Jamaica illegally sent back to their homeland

Stand Up for Jamaica cited reports of overcrowding, lack of hygiene, inadequate access to food and water, and severe emotional trauma in the centres, maintaining that no human being should be held in such degrading conditions.

“What is happening to Haitian refugees on Jamaican soil is nothing short of a scandal and a national shame. Our government, in direct violation of international law and the fundamental principles of human rights, is forcibly returning Haitian men, women and children to the very conditions they are fleeing — chaos, persecution and death,” it said.

It described the decision to return the group of migrants to Haiti as a total disregard for humanitarian assistance and for human life.

Haiti is currently in the throes of a gang war being waged by criminals against security forces in certain areas of the country, which the United Nations says has forced thousands out of their homes as they try to find safety. Also affecting the country are displacements due to environmental factors and the slow collapse of medical services.