Australia's treatment of refugees has been slammed as "disturbing" and "shocking" by the UN Human Rights Committee.
Australia was grilled by the Human Rights Committee in Geneva for a second day on Thursday following its election to the Human Rights Council on Tuesday.
During the first day of questioning vice chair of the Committee Professor Yuval Shany slammed Australia's "chronic non-compliance" with international human rights laws, saying it was "off the charts".
On the second day of grilling Prof Shany focused on Australia's detention of asylum seekers.
"I hear a rumour Australia doesn't like to be lectured by the UN, so I will try to suppress my professorial instincts," Prof Shany said, as he detailed concerns about detention of asylum seekers.
"The question is: How does the state justify treating migrants as criminals?"
Committee member Sarah Cleveland described Operation Sovereign Borders and Australia's offshore processing of asylum seekers as "shocking".
"I find the legal regime in place quite shocking for this state, particularly for a state that holds itself as broadly human rights compliant," she said.
"It's very disturbing both from the perspective of respect international law and humane protection of persons and from the model it suggests for other states."
The criticism comes as the UN warns of a looming humanitarian crisis when Australia closes the offshore immigration detention centre on Manus Island at the end of October.
On Wednesday the UN High Commissioner for Refugees expressed serious concerns about detainee health, welfare and security with local services overstretched.
During the opening day of examination the committee noted Australia's "generally strong record", but queried former prime minister Tony Abbott's attack on a 2015 report into children in immigration detention.
Other issues raised by the committee included same-sex marriage, transgender and intersex rights, domestic violence, the sterilisation of intellectually disabled women and girls, and the balance between anti-terrorism laws and personal liberty.
On Thursday, Greens senator Nick McKim said Australia's election to the council is far from an endorsement of its human rights record, noting some "terrible" outcomes.
