The United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of migrants has put off his official visit to Australia over Canberra’s restrictive measures on his access to asylum seeker detention facilities as well as concerns about reprisals for those disclosing information.

Francois Crépeau said on Friday that he was scheduled to visit Australia from 27 September to 9 October to assess the situation of refugees and asylum seekers in the country and in its offshore detention centers in neighboring Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

Crépeau, however, noted that the postponement of his trip came after discovering that under the Australian Border Force Act 2015 it was a criminal offence to reveal information about detention camp operations.

“In preparing for my visit, it came to my attention that the 2015 Border Force Act, which sanctions detention center service-providers who disclose ‘protected information’ with a two-year court sentence, would have an impact on my visit as it serves to discourage people from fully disclosing information relevant to my mandate,” he said.

In addition, the UN investigator denounced as “unacceptable,” the threat of reprisal for those willing to cooperate with him in a bid to shed light on the situation of refugees and asylum seekers in Australia.

Crépeau also accused the Australian government of failing to provide “written assurances” to guarantee that no one would be at any risk of intimidation or sanctions for meeting him during his trip.

He further expressed disappointment with Canberra’s decision to prevent his access to Australia’s offshore detention centers, despite months of efforts to gain its cooperation.

The Australian government has been under fire in recent years both at home and abroad for its strict immigration policies and treatment of refugees, among them detaining asylum seekers in offshore facilities in inhumane conditions.