Papua New Guinea has warned Australian politicians to show it more respect, a day after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott went on the attack over foreign aid flowing to the country. Mr Abbott had accused Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of subcontracting out the nation's aid program to PNG as part of the asylum seeker processing deal, … Continue reading Papua New Guinea attacks Australian opposition party for disrespect
Tag: Asylum Seekers
Australia puts bounty on heads of people smugglers
The Australian government will award bounty payments of up to $200,000 for those individuals who can provide information that will help the AFP crack down on people smugglers. The announcement by Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare follows a breakthrough deal under which asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat will be resettled in Papua … Continue reading Australia puts bounty on heads of people smugglers
People smugglers hit hard by Australia’s Papua New Guinea solution
Kevin Rudd's Papua New Guinea solution has bit savagely in west Java, where Afghan asylum seekers have immediately begun telling people smugglers they are cancelling their planned boat trips to Christmas Island. After the Prime Minister's announcement, it did not take long for the news to circulate in the mountain-top resort city of Cisarua, where … Continue reading People smugglers hit hard by Australia’s Papua New Guinea solution
Australia to send extra police to Papua New Guinea
Australia will send up to 50 police officers to Papua New Guinea by the end of the year to help tackle the country's growing law and order problem. Papua New Guineans will also enjoy ''passenger lane'' status - currently shared by Australian and New Zealand travellers - at Brisbane and Cairns airport from September. Australian … Continue reading Australia to send extra police to Papua New Guinea
Australian politicians to have final say on towing asylum boats back to Indonesia
Political leaders in Canberra could have the final say on individual tow-backs of people-smuggling boats to Indonesian waters under the Coalition's refugee strategy, Scott Morrison says. Interviewed on Sky News's Australian Agenda this morning, the Opposition's immigration spokesman also confirmed the Australian Navy would be expected to siphon petrol from smuggler's vessels before abandoning them … Continue reading Australian politicians to have final say on towing asylum boats back to Indonesia
Australia in breach of international human rights laws over Manus Island asylum seekers
The international refugee agency says it is ''deeply concerned'' for the asylum seekers Australia sends to Papua New Guinea's Manus Island detention centre. In its second report on the conditions on the island centre, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says PNG is in breach of international human rights laws by detaining the asylum … Continue reading Australia in breach of international human rights laws over Manus Island asylum seekers
Australia’s new asylum policy hits Iranians hardest
Asylum seekers from ethnic and religious majorities in their own countries will have great difficulty establishing a valid claim for refugee status in Australia under new Rudd government policy. This will strike hardest at Iranians, currently the single largest and most troublesome component of the asylum-seeker flow. Most Afghans and Pakistanis would still pass the … Continue reading Australia’s new asylum policy hits Iranians hardest
Australian government fears conflict with Indonesia under opposition asylum policy
Australia's Opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison has called on Kevin Rudd to refrain from "desperate and reckless" attempts to draw Indonesia into the domestic political argument over asylum seekers when he visits later this week. Mr Rudd, who is this week due to meet Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, on Friday warned of "some sort … Continue reading Australian government fears conflict with Indonesia under opposition asylum policy
Australian plan to pay Indonesia to stop asylum seekers
The federal opposition has offered bipartisan support for a boost to funding to Indonesia to deal with asylum-seekers, ahead of an election-eve visit by Julia Gillard for talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor today insisted the July 4-5 visit was a "scheduled", and warned against "overnight miracles" that would solve the … Continue reading Australian plan to pay Indonesia to stop asylum seekers
Australian people fed up with growth in asylum-seeker numbers
The Australian people are completely fed up with the boatpeople saga. Chief among their concerns is a decent humanitarian desire to stop the drownings that accompany the people-smuggling trade. But that is not the whole story. The Australian people in their overwhelming majority want the national government to reassert national sovereignty over our borders. When … Continue reading Australian people fed up with growth in asylum-seeker numbers
Australian authorities too busy to recover floating bodies of asylum seekers
Australian authorities are too busy to recover the floating bodies of asylum seekers whose boat sank near Christmas Island. Thirteen bodies were spotted on Saturday as aircraft and boats searched for the vessel that was believed to have been carrying about 55 men, women and children before it capsized northwest of the island. A three-day … Continue reading Australian authorities too busy to recover floating bodies of asylum seekers
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd praises Australia’s asylum ‘decency’
Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd has entered the asylum-seekers debate, declaring Australia has always "been decent" in its treatment of refugees. Days after Laurie Ferguson, a staunch supporter of Julia Gillard, warned that Labor would be "dead" in western Sydney if the Prime Minister did not take a strong lead on the troubled asylum-seeker … Continue reading Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd praises Australia’s asylum ‘decency’
Violent asylum seekers released onto Australian streets
Asylum seekers involved in violent attacks while in immigration detention are being released into the community, including one man who assaulted staff and was involved in more than 250 incidents. The violent detainees are released before security checks into their background are completed, according to an insider with intimate knowledge of the detention system. The … Continue reading Violent asylum seekers released onto Australian streets
Australia’s asylum policy fails to have an impact
It was the foundation stone of Julia Gillard's plan to stop, or at least substantially slow, the flow of boats arriving uninvited on our shores, and it had a certain simplicity and logic on its side.If asylum seekers could extract ''no advantage'' by paying people smugglers and risking their lives on leaky boats, compared with … Continue reading Australia’s asylum policy fails to have an impact
Indonesia won’t agree to Australian plan to turn back asylum boats
Indonesia's ambassador to Australia has ruled out agreeing to the coalition's boat turnback policy, declaring no such collaboration will occur. Ambassador Nadjib Riphat Kesoema said Indonesia would welcome Tony Abbott or whoever leads Australia after the September election. But he said asylum seeker boats should be turned back to other countries, not to Indonesia. "Indonesia … Continue reading Indonesia won’t agree to Australian plan to turn back asylum boats
Asylum detainee in Australia is wanted for murder and terrorism in Egypt
An asylum seeker who arrived at Christmas Island last year was wanted in Egypt for premeditated murder, possession of weapons and explosives and destruction of property. The unnamed man was initially held at the low security Inverbrackie detention facility in South Australia. He was moved to a secure facility in Sydney on April 17, some … Continue reading Asylum detainee in Australia is wanted for murder and terrorism in Egypt
Up to 25,000 asylum seekers expected in Australia this year
The immigration department vastly underestimated the number of asylum seekers expected to arrive in Australia this financial year, with up to 25,000 now expected – almost five times more than initial forecasts. Last year, the immigration department estimated just 5400 asylum seekers would arrive in Australia in 2012-13, before being forced to revise it to … Continue reading Up to 25,000 asylum seekers expected in Australia this year
United Nations refugee agency slams Australia’s tough new asylum seeker policy
The UN refugee agency took Australia to task Wednesday over a tough new policy that allows boat people who reach its mainland to be sent to remote Nauru or Papua New Guinea for detention while their asylum claims are processed. The so-called "excision" rules, passed last week, extend previous legislation which only allowed the authorities … Continue reading United Nations refugee agency slams Australia’s tough new asylum seeker policy
Australian mainland now off limits for asylum seekers
The government and opposition have rejected a bid to open the offshore detention centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea for inspection by Australia's Human Rights Commissioner. They have also blocked an attempt to give the Australian media the same access to the centres that it has to mainland and Christmas Island detention facilities. There … Continue reading Australian mainland now off limits for asylum seekers
In Australia, some asylum women and kids to be released soon
The government has moved more than 500 children and families into the Curtin and Wickham Point detention centres, readying them for release on bridging visas with no work rights. Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor announced on Tuesday that part of the remote Wickham Point facility, about an hour out of Darwin, and Curtin detention centre in … Continue reading In Australia, some asylum women and kids to be released soon
Australia: Asylum seekers children to stay on Manus Island despite doctor’s health warnings
Refugee families will remain on Manus Island, despite staff at the camp going public with concerns children were at risk at the asylum seeker detention centre. Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor on Tuesday rejected opposition claims that the government was preparing to move families off Manus Island in response to a doctor's warning of health risks. … Continue reading Australia: Asylum seekers children to stay on Manus Island despite doctor’s health warnings
Australia says asylum seeker boat arrival not a new people smuggling strategy
Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor believes an asylum-seeker vessel that made it to the mainland is an exception, and does not herald a new strategy by people-smugglers. The Sri Lankan navy has warned the vessel's arrival in the West Australian port of Geraldton will encourage more people to take the dangerous voyage, believing they can evade … Continue reading Australia says asylum seeker boat arrival not a new people smuggling strategy
Australian asylum children denied right to attend school
Asylum-seeker children aged under-15 continue to be denied the right to attend schools in Tasmania, despite the state government's strong desire to educate them "outside the wire". After criticism from the state Children's Commissioner, it was yesterday announced that up to 150 children aged 15 to 17 would be allowed to attend Hobart Polytechnic colleges … Continue reading Australian asylum children denied right to attend school
Australian navy chief says Opposition’s plan to resume turning back asylum seeker boats is dangerous
The navy chief responsible for turning back asylum boats under the Howard government has warned that any decision to reintroduce the policy would be "dangerous stuff" for all concerned. David Shackleton said the Coalition should be under no illusion that such a policy would lead asylum-seekers to sabotage their boats, jump overboard and do whatever … Continue reading Australian navy chief says Opposition’s plan to resume turning back asylum seeker boats is dangerous
Australian expert warns of more asylum seeker deaths at sea unless changes made
The Australian governments own immigration expert Paris Aristotle says it is ''absolutely certain'' there will be more asylum-seeker deaths at sea unless the government implements the full suite of measures recommended to it last year. In the wake of the deaths of two asylum-seekers this week Mr Aristotle, who is currently visiting the Nauru detention … Continue reading Australian expert warns of more asylum seeker deaths at sea unless changes made
Craig Hill 