Asylum seekers urged to accept deal

12 Nov 2009, 8:16 pm   -   Source: AAP
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A Tamil advocacy group says the 78 asylum seekers aboard the Oceanic Viking should accept a federal government resettlement deal if it means they get to come to Australia.

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The 78 asylum seekers aboard the Oceanic Viking should accept a federal government resettlement deal if it means they get to come to Australia, a Tamil advocacy group says.

The ethnic Tamils are refusing to disembark the Australian Customs ship, moored in Indonesian waters, despite being offered a special resettlement deal.

The deal would see those already determined to be refugees by the UN refugee agency resettled within four to six weeks if they get off the boat in Indonesia.

Those yet to be assessed would be resettled within 12 weeks if their claims were successful. Australian Tamil Congress spokeswoman Saradha Nathan urged those aboard the Oceanic Viking to accept the offer - so long as they were resettled in Australia.

"If the deal is that they are guaranteed to come to Australia as genuine refugees, it sounds like a very good deal," she told ABC Radio on Thursday. "I would urge the people to take it."

Ms Nathan said she would be happy to negotiate the terms of the deal with the asylum seekers, on behalf of the government.

"Once we have the details of the deal and we are confident that it is in the best interest of everybody concerned, we are happy to be a liaison point and talk to the people," she said.

"If the Australian government would like us to do so, we are very happy to take that on."

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Your Comments

Asylum Seekers Urged to Accept Deal

Mirwais - from Mildura, 2 years ago

Sounds like a good and fair deal, this way the genuine refugees will get shelter and permanent residence in Australia and non-genuine asylum seekers will get rejected.

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