A refugee is a person who:

...owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country...
  - Article 1, The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

Every year thousands of people flee their homelands to escape war and persecution. Until recently the people who made it to Australia ended up in detention centres while their claims for asylum were processed. It took months, if not years of uncertainty. The Australian Government eventually sends back asylum seekers it doesn’t think are refugees, and who can’t prove they have ‘a well-founded fear’ for their safety.

International law stipulates that people shouldn't be sent to unsafe locations. But like many countries that deport asylum seekers the Australian Government doesn't monitor what happens to the people they send back - they don't regard it as their responsibility.

"No Contracting State shall expel or return ("refouler") a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion."
  - Article 33, The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees