Abbott asylum plan slammed

9 Jun 2012, 5:13 pm   -   Source: AAP
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An asylum seeker boat intercepted off Christmas Island. (File: AAP)

An asylum seeker boat intercepted off Christmas Island. (File: AAP)

Refugee advocates have attacked the federal opposition's proposal to penalise asylum seekers not carrying all documentation, saying it oversimplifies a complicated issue.

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Refugee advocates have attacked the federal opposition's proposal to penalise asylum seekers not carrying all documentation, saying it oversimplifies a complicated issue.

In a press conference in Sydney on Saturday, opposition leader Tony Abbott said asylum seekers believed to have destroyed their documents before arriving in Australia will earn a presumption against refugee status under a coalition government.

"Everyone who comes to Indonesia from Iran, Pakistan or Afghanistan normally comes by plane, Mr Abbott said.

"So the vast majority of people have had documents before they got on the boats."

But Refugee Action Coalition Sydney spokesman Ian Rintoul said the comments were misleading.

"The issue of documentation is not as straight forward as the opposition is making out," he told AAP.

Mr Rintoul said many asylum seekers travelled by fake passports to Indonesia, which they destroyed on arrival in order to prevent any possible criminal proceedings.

Others destroyed valid passports in order to avoid being deported by the Indonesian government, he said.

"They may not have passports but they have other documentation, such as driver's licenses.

"People want to be identified because they can't be processed in Australia unless they are identified."

"It (the announcement) is all about the coalition painting a picture that a lot of people are trying to take advantage of Australia.

"There is no indication that this is the case.

"It is not easy to get refugee status in Australia."

He also rejected moves to review approvals of refugees and the establishment of a new integrity commissioner to audit all refugee decisions.

"This would just create another layer of unnecessary bureaucracy," he said.

Meanwhile, the federal government says the opposition is rehashing old policy.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen was quick to point out that opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison stated in late 2011 that it was coalition policy to presume against refugee status "where we reasonably form the view that someone has thrown away their documentation".

Indeed, Mr Morrison made the same point in April 2010, four months before the last federal election.

"They (the opposition) should stop passing off old policies as new ones," Mr Bowen said in a statement.

"Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison should quit the cheap political stunts and join with the government to pass legislation enabling offshore processing."

Labor wants to process asylum seekers arriving by boat in Malaysia but needs the opposition's help to make the plan lawful.

The coalition is refusing to pass the required legislation because it says potential refugees should be assessed on Nauru. It argues legal changes aren't required for that approach.

Mr Bowen on Saturday said the opposition's plans for more reviews would introduce another layer of bureaucracy "which would almost certainly be judicially reviewable, meaning more asylum claims will be tied up in the courts".

The immigration minister said Australia already had a robust process for assessing asylum seeker claims under the UN refugee convention with each claim judged on a case-by-case basis.
 

Asylum-seekers , Chris Bowen , Tony Abbott

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Your Comments

Abbot is right

caradak - from Sydney, 12 months ago

Rintoul is a liar - how much does he make out of the refugee industry? Fee per head or kickback from the refugee lawyers. It is common knowledge that the 90,000 illegals who arrive by air into Australia destroy their documents on the flight by flushing them down the toilet or eating them. They then arrive at Customs, stand silent, and are handed over to the Immigration Dept for processing - why? If you do not know where they are from you cannot send them back. Its a scam. Abbot is correct.

Get Australia Back

Bill Taylor - from MacArthur NSW, 12 months ago

It's about enough, we should pull out of the UN, Bunch of morons telling what to do, send them packing together with the Weekend cafeteria warrior Sarah. The are millions of real refugees in the world I don't want the garbage we are getting in no sympathy for economic refugees, they are criminals, How many countries have they visited before arriving In Hotel Australia. I have seen them In Kuala Lumpur, shopping and spending, Don't be fools, the cowards should defend their country instead of us

Problem solved!

True Blue Ozzie - from Gladstone Q, 12 months ago

Here here, Abbot is on the right tract here, we have to protect our country no what the emotion of the "dogooders". If they dont have there papers send them back, sink there boat what ever! Governments should not be making decission on "emotion based" it should be about whats best for our country.

abbott

mark - from moonta, 12 months ago

Abbott should not be taken seriously he will say anything if he thinks it will get him a few extra votes and if he becomes p.m. one day he will do what he did as health minister under howard and that is nothing.The man is a idiot and god help us if he becomes p.m. with his non stop pathetic fear campains.

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