Refugee groups have welcomed Immigration Minister Scott Morrison’s recognition that Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are unsafe.
Speaking to Chris Uhlmann on the ABC’s AM program on Monday 28 July, about the boat of 157 Tamil asylum seekers, Morrison contrasted the safety of India compared to countries like Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, saying, “….these people have come from the safe country of India. They haven’t come from Sri Lanka, they haven’t come from any of those other countries – Afghanistan or anything like that.” (Full text here)
“This is a welcome recognition,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, “We hope this represents a change of direction on the part of the Minister to take seriously the protection applications from Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers.
“Along with this recognition, should go a recognition that Australia has an obligation to provide protection to those fleeing persecution from unsafe countries, and that they not be sent back to danger or sent offshore.
“In particular, immediate considerations should be extended to the Tamil asylum seekers who were held at sea by the Australian government.
“The first step is for the Minister to act quickly to ensure processing of the protection applications of those who are fleeing persecution in Sri Lanka happens without further delay.
“Some of the people, now in Curtin detention centre, left Sri Lanka as late as March this year and have never been in India’s Tamil refugee camps. In any case, India is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention. There is no enduring safety in the Tamil refugee camps in India.
“Given the Minister’s implicit recognition that Sri Lanka is unsafe, we also call on him to reconsider the government’s decision to return the boat of 41 Sri Lankan asylum seekers to Sri Lanka. The screening out process that rejected 40 of the 41 is not a proper assessment and is deliberately designed to deny asylum seekers the right to make protection claims. Five of those returned remain in prison. Immediate steps are needed by the Australian Embassy in Sri Lanka to guarantee the safety of the 41.
“There also needs to be an end to the government’s moves to deport any Sri Lankan or Afghan asylum seekers.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul mob 0417 275 713
