The Jakarta Post, 4/14/2006 3:33:29 PM
AI criticizes Australia's new refugee policy
JAKARTA (Agencies): Australia's new policy of sending asylum seekers arriving by
boat to island detention camps could breach its international obligations to refugees,
Amnesty International (AI) said Friday.
Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone had said one reason future boat arrivals would
be sent offshore was to prevent asylum seekers from using "Australia as a staging
post for political protest about the domestic business of other countries."
AI said Australia could have violated its international obligations by only sending boat
arrivals to islands while allowing those that arrive by plane to stay in mainland
detention centers, where they have access to the full range of Australia'slegal options
to further their claims.
"All asylum seekers must be treated equally," the human rights group was quoted by
The Associated Press as saying in a statement.
Vanstone, however, stressed that with its new policy, Australia would continue to its
commitment to the international protection obligations.
"Australia's approach to all unauthorized arrivals will continue to reflect our
commitment to our international obligations," she said at a media release sent to The
Jakarta Post.
Australia announced Thursday a toughening of its policy toward asylum seekers after
Jakarta angrily denounced Australia's decision to grant refugee status to 42 people
from the Indonesian province of Papua.
Many in Jakarta saw the decision as a signal of Australian support for a long-running
separatist movement on the province.
Australia has denied the new policy is kowtowing to Indonesia, and has said it will
apply to boat arrivals from all countries, not just from Papua which is the closest
Indonesian province to Australia. (**)
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