Sri Lankan, Afghan asylum visas suspended

9 Apr 2010, 1:12 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Australia will stop processing visas for Afghan, Sri Lankan asylum seekers, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said.

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The federal government has toughened its policy on asylum seekers by immediately suspending the processing of all new refugee claims by Sri Lankans and Afghanis.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans denied the new regime meant asylum seekers could be detained indefinitely on Christmas Island or in mainland detention centres.

"People aren't being denied their right to seek asylum but it's been suspended," he told reporters in Canberra.

"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 government says the new policy is a response to changing circumstances in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees is presently reviewing conditions in both countries and UN protection guidelines.

The suspension will initially apply for three months for Sri Lankans and six months for Afghanis.

But there's no guarantee the processing ban won't be extended.

"They (asylum seekers) will be detained and if they chose to pursue their claim they will have to wait (three or) six months before we review the suspension," Senator Evans said. "If the suspension is then ended we would process their claim."

The government also announced new measures to combat the financing of people smuggling.

Those supporting operations will face 10 years jail and fines of up to $110,000. Since altering the previous Howard government's asylum seeker policy, Labor has denied "pull factors" were responsible for the recent influx of boat arrivals.

Rather, it maintained "push factors" in source countries were to blame. But Senator Evans said Labor's tougher stance would reduce people smuggling.

"The message is the circumstances in Australia have changed and increasingly persons from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are being refused asylum in this country," he said

. "I don't think it will have an immediate effect on boats ... (but) we're hopeful over time this will have an impact on people smuggling operations." Senator Evans denied he was pre-empting the UN review.

Asylum seekers caught by the processing ban will still be taken to Christmas Island for health, security and identity checks. But they could then be flown to the mainland.

"The reality is we have pressure on Christmas Island," Senator Evans said.

"Depending on the numbers of arrivals we would obviously, as we've said for months, use other mainland detention facilities."

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor admitted additional Australian Federal Police officers had been flown to Christmas Island for security.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said a number of other countries had already stopped processing asylum claims from Sri Lanka.

"(But) in the case of Afghanistan we may well be the first country to affect a pause or suspension," he told reporters.

The change in policy was announced as it was revealed 70 asylum seekers were rescued from their floundering vessel near Christmas Island on Friday morning.

The new regime was introduced a day after 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".

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Generalising persecution?

Sara - from Sydney, 2 years ago

Sri Lanka still has 88,000+ Tamil civilians in internment camp and 12,000 suspected combatants in undisclosed locations without International Red Cross. Even outside the camps, the traditional homelands are under heavy military occupation and colonisation. Persecution of Tamils have NOT stopped. In any case, shouldn't we look at individual cases and determine if they are genunine refugees or not rather than generalising the whole race? Why extend the trauma these people have already suffered?

The Pacific

mick - from free australia fron rudd religion UN 2010, 2 years ago

see if all you do gooders feel the same after you watch The pacific and see your fellow australians being killed to keep your counties borders safe .stay at home on Anzac day as well,we dont want you sellouts there,

Coincidence?

Colin - from Brisbane, 2 years ago

Isn't it more than a little strange that shortly after a Sri Lankan minister publicly states that Sri Lanka is now a safe place, and Australia shouldn't consider offering refugee status to Sri Lankans as in his opinion there are no causes for people to leave the country, Australia suddenly changes it's rules? Either there is a general election in the offing (like next month) or some deal is being struck. Wait for the announcement of a resource or arms deal with Sri Lanka in the near future.

Limiting Asylum

T - from US, 2 years ago

So what the govt. doing IS cancelling people's right to seek asylum. Despite the Immigration Minister's spin to the contrary. In a way, this isn't surprising. Look at other countries. Canada is limiting asylum seekers. The States continue to deport large numbers of people. Why? Because elections are coming up in various places. It's all political.

What crap is Rudd talking now?

Chang - from Estwood, 2 years ago

He keeps on failing! As long as the accommodation at our place is better than Indonesia, the boat people will continue to come like a river flowing to the sea. The only way for Rudd to stop it with his present running policies is returning most to where they come from or returning to the pacific solution. All other methods, such as paying Indonesia etc, are waste of resource time and tax money. Maxine M is gone in Bennelong.

Not difference...

Carl - from Melbourne, 2 years ago

We used to have John Coward. The new vertion is Kevin Coward ....Sad isn't ?

mentally ill

John - from Melbourne, 2 years ago

The long term dentention for asylum seekers have a very negative outcomes for those asylum seekers who are waiting in detenion centres untill thier work is being processed. I personally know some people who come from detenion centres already have mental ilness

mr

jim - from melbourne , 2 years ago

So, this is going to be the number one topic of the next election again. God the immigration debate makes me feel so bloody old.

A proviso

Slocine - from Sydney, 2 years ago

As long as we don't return to the dark ages of the Howard/Ruddock regime with its mental torture and cruelty.

Lismore Liz

Marlene Hastings - from Lismore, 2 years ago

Smaazing what results we get with voter pressure.

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