'Race to the bottom' on asylum

3 Jun 2011, 12:49 pm   -   Source: Agencies
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Refugess advocates have rounded on Immigration Minister Chris Bowen's announcement that Labor plans to send unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to Malaysia

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Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the government needs to seek stronger guarantees to uphold "human rights and dignity" following news that the federal government plans to send unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to Malaysia.

Ms Hanson-Young said the government was engaged in a "race to the bottom" with the opposition in terms of asylum-seeker policy, AAP reported.

The government's plan to send some child asylum seekers to Malaysia to have their claims for refugee status assessed has drawn sharp criticism from refugee advocates.
  
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has confirmed that children will be included in a plan to send 800 boatpeople to Malaysia for processing, in exchange for some 4,000 registered refugees from the Southeast Asian nation, AFP reported.
  
"I don't want unaccompanied minors, I don't want children getting on boats to come to Australia thinking or knowing that there is some sort of exemption in place," Bowen told ABC TV late Thursday.
  
Australia has already been criticised for the yet-to-be finalised scheme because Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention and amid claims that asylum seekers sent to Malaysia could be caned.
  
Refugee advocates described the decision to include children in the "swap" as disappointing and potentially a breach of their human rights.
  
"The minister forgets that he is legally the guardian of unaccompanied minors," Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
  
"The minister, for the sake of a political quick-fix, is prepared to expend the rights and obligations he should be offering to these very, very vulnerable children."
  
Ian Rintoul, from the Refugees Action Coalition, said the issue highlighted the problems inherent in sending boatpeople offshore for processing.
  
"I think it shows the human rights tragedy of trying to trade off the rights of one group against another group," he told AFP.
  
"From our point of view, we don't think anyone should be being sent back to Malaysia and the fact that the government is willing to send children back to Malaysia, it just shows the lengths the government is willing to go to."
  
Defending his decision, Bowen said he never wanted Australia to again have to bury children as a result of a boat accident, as happened in December when a wooden vessel carrying about 90 asylum seekers sank at Christmas Island.
  
That vessel disintegrated after smashing into cliffs in rough seas, throwing all onboard in the water and claiming more than 30 lives, including those of children and babies.
  
Thousands of asylum seekers flock by boat to Australia each year, many from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
  
 

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Your Comments

Simple solution

Michael - from Sydney, 12 months ago

Put the word out: Anyone who arrives by boat will NEVER get a visa. Remove the reward, remove the problem. No one is putting themselves and their children on a boat if it is CLEAR that they can NEVER get a visa at arrival. Harsh? Yes. Would it saves lives? Certainly! C'mon Bowen, save some children! Show some leadership! This is what you signed up for!

Race to bottom

Silvertongue - from Oz, 12 months ago

What exactly is acceptable and is that different in the West compared to 3rd world countries. Acceptable is what you have been brought up with.Human rights is always an issue between the West and places like China,Indo,M/East. Obviously to some it is acceptable to treat live animals badly, When in the M/East I used to see cars with children out of the sunroof doing 100Kmh in cities so is it too hard to immagine the Malaysians will not treat A/Seekers as well as Gillard says they will?

Hard politics

Rolly - from Perth, 12 months ago

It's all about political perception and the next election. None of these heartless people care a damn about the welfare of those fleeing from terror and persecution. Just like the Australian Meat and Livestock mob who contentedly commit thousands of animals each day to a death by torture and cruelty. Their obfuscation on the ABC doco really showed the callousness of these traders in misery. Same principles, just different animals.

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