The election motivated Australia’s release of refugees like me, not human rights obligations

Mehdi after being freed from detention in Australia. ‘Humanity knows no borders, and the asylum seekers and refugees held offshore deserve to taste the same freedom as those who were recently released.’ Photograph: Supplied

The Australian government has been releasing refugees from its onshore detention over the past month, ending several years of detention for many, in a move shrouded in secrecy.

Undoubtedly, any decision that leads to the release of imprisoned asylum seekers is commendable, but there are things to consider about the government’s actions that I hope will be taken into account.