Calls mount to tackle Rohingya crisis

A Senate hearing has been told just 412 people identifying as Rohingya have been granted humanitarian visas by Australia since 2008.

Australia has resettled just over 400 Rohingya in the past seven years, it has been confirmed, amid calls for the international community to do more to help address Southeast Asia's refugee crisis.

As thousands of the minority group continue to flee persecution in Myanmar, a Senate hearing in Canberra has been told 412 people identifying as Rohingya had been granted humanitarian visas through the United Nations process since 2008.

Immigration and Border Protection Department deputy secretary Rachel Noble told the hearing on Tuesday she was unable to immediately confirm if any had been resettled under the Abbott government.

Another 1940 Rohingya had arrived in Australia by boat since 2009, Ms Noble said.

More than 3500 boat people have arrived in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia in the past two weeks, while thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshis are believed to be stranded at sea.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told AAP on Monday that among more than 1700 who had come ashore in Indonesia, about 50 per cent were Rohingya.

In Tokyo on Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak urged other countries to do more to address the crisis, saying it requires "an international solution".

Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand eventually agreed to provide the Rohingya asylum seekers temporary shelter, while the US, Philippines and Gambia have offered resettlement.

Australia has been criticised for not doing enough, with the Asia-Pacific Refugee Rights Network describing the response as a "blot on human rights".

But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has rejected the criticism, saying on Monday that Australia was doing "more than its fair share" to help find a regional settlement arrangement.

The Senate hearing was also told that in the year to April 30, a total of 1771 Syrians had been granted visas, but not all had yet entered the country.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has committed to resettling 4400 Syrians fleeing war in the Middle East, with 2200 places to be allocated in 2014-15.

In the past year, Australia has resettled 1886 refugees from Iraq, 1741 from Afghanistan, 1662 from Myanmar and 346 from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is expected the government will reach its overall target of resettling 13,750 refugees by June 30.


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Source: AAP


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