AK
9th April 2010, 07:02
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article7092776.ece
The Australian government has toughened its immigration policies by announcing an immediate suspension on the processing of all new claims from asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced the government’s new measures to combat the enormous influx of refugees just hours after a boat with 70 asylum seekers on board – including young children and pregnant women - was intercepted as it began to sink in waters off the west coast of Australia.
It was the 38th asylum seeking boat to arrive in Australian waters this year, and one of more than 100 boats carrying 4,500 refugees to have landed since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took office in 2007.
Senator Evans said the new changes will “send a strong message to people smugglers that they cannot guarantee a visa outcome for their clients”.
New asylum claims by Sri Lankan nationals will be suspended for three months and claims by Afghan nationals for six months.
Senator Evans refused to speculate on whether the changes would stem the flood of desperate asylum seekers who make their way to Australia, often in rickety boats which embark from Indonesia or elsewhere in Asia.
"We still expect boats to arrive," he said, but added that the administration hoped it would have an impact on people smuggling "over time".
Senator Evans rejected the suggestion that the new measures were inhumane.
“People aren't being denied their right to seek asylum but it's been suspended,'' Senator Evans said. “It's humane because people will still have access to consideration of their refugee status. They will still be treated with dignity and treated as human beings.”
The new measures follow the concerns of a United Nations official who said governments needed new solutions to deal with “out of control” people smuggling as thousands of asylum seekers try to reach Australia via Indonesia.
Manuel Jordao, a senior representative of The United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Indonesia, said a large number of almost 4,000 asylum seekers on the UNHCR's books in the Indonesian archipelago will try to reach Australia by boat, rather than wait for resettlement via official channels.
The Prime Minister, who is expected to call an election later this year, has been under enormous pressure to combat the continuous arrival of asylum seekers, with opinion polls strongly favouring the centre-Left government taking a tougher stance on the issue.
Yesterday an opinion poll showed 64 per cent of Australians believe asylum seekers arriving by sea should be returned and made to apply “through normal refugee channels”.
The Australian Greens party described the policy changes as a “redneck” solution that revived the worst aspects of the previous conservative government's controversial asylum seeker policies.
Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said the politically-driven policy change was “disgraceful, unjustified and totally unnecessary”.
He said it meant asylum seekers were more likely to be detained for a “long period of time'' rather than returned to their home countries.
“They're going to sit in detention having committed no crime,” Mr Rintoul told the Australian Associated Press. “Having justifiably fled persecution, the government refuses to process them, only see them rot in detention.”
Asylum seekers caught by the processing ban will still be taken to Christmas Island, where Australia has an immigration detention centre, for health, security and identity checks.
Earlier today 70 people, including pregnant women and children were being transferred to Christmas Island after being rescued by the Australian Navy overnight when their boat’s engine failed and the vessel began to sink.
However the Christmas Island detention centre is stretched to its maximum capacity and authorities are struggling to accommodate the recent influx of asylum seekers landing in nearby waters.
More than 1,800 boat people have arrived on the island in the past three months, with fears that 2010 will be the biggest year yet for unauthorised sea arrivals, topping the 5,000 or so who arrived in 2001.
Your thoughts?
The Australian government has toughened its immigration policies by announcing an immediate suspension on the processing of all new claims from asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced the government’s new measures to combat the enormous influx of refugees just hours after a boat with 70 asylum seekers on board – including young children and pregnant women - was intercepted as it began to sink in waters off the west coast of Australia.
It was the 38th asylum seeking boat to arrive in Australian waters this year, and one of more than 100 boats carrying 4,500 refugees to have landed since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took office in 2007.
Senator Evans said the new changes will “send a strong message to people smugglers that they cannot guarantee a visa outcome for their clients”.
New asylum claims by Sri Lankan nationals will be suspended for three months and claims by Afghan nationals for six months.
Senator Evans refused to speculate on whether the changes would stem the flood of desperate asylum seekers who make their way to Australia, often in rickety boats which embark from Indonesia or elsewhere in Asia.
"We still expect boats to arrive," he said, but added that the administration hoped it would have an impact on people smuggling "over time".
Senator Evans rejected the suggestion that the new measures were inhumane.
“People aren't being denied their right to seek asylum but it's been suspended,'' Senator Evans said. “It's humane because people will still have access to consideration of their refugee status. They will still be treated with dignity and treated as human beings.”
The new measures follow the concerns of a United Nations official who said governments needed new solutions to deal with “out of control” people smuggling as thousands of asylum seekers try to reach Australia via Indonesia.
Manuel Jordao, a senior representative of The United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Indonesia, said a large number of almost 4,000 asylum seekers on the UNHCR's books in the Indonesian archipelago will try to reach Australia by boat, rather than wait for resettlement via official channels.
The Prime Minister, who is expected to call an election later this year, has been under enormous pressure to combat the continuous arrival of asylum seekers, with opinion polls strongly favouring the centre-Left government taking a tougher stance on the issue.
Yesterday an opinion poll showed 64 per cent of Australians believe asylum seekers arriving by sea should be returned and made to apply “through normal refugee channels”.
The Australian Greens party described the policy changes as a “redneck” solution that revived the worst aspects of the previous conservative government's controversial asylum seeker policies.
Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said the politically-driven policy change was “disgraceful, unjustified and totally unnecessary”.
He said it meant asylum seekers were more likely to be detained for a “long period of time'' rather than returned to their home countries.
“They're going to sit in detention having committed no crime,” Mr Rintoul told the Australian Associated Press. “Having justifiably fled persecution, the government refuses to process them, only see them rot in detention.”
Asylum seekers caught by the processing ban will still be taken to Christmas Island, where Australia has an immigration detention centre, for health, security and identity checks.
Earlier today 70 people, including pregnant women and children were being transferred to Christmas Island after being rescued by the Australian Navy overnight when their boat’s engine failed and the vessel began to sink.
However the Christmas Island detention centre is stretched to its maximum capacity and authorities are struggling to accommodate the recent influx of asylum seekers landing in nearby waters.
More than 1,800 boat people have arrived on the island in the past three months, with fears that 2010 will be the biggest year yet for unauthorised sea arrivals, topping the 5,000 or so who arrived in 2001.
Your thoughts?