A range of non-government organisations including the United Nations Association of Australia has sent a letter to the Prime Minister, John Howard, asking him to withdraw the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006, which seeks to process off-shore all asylum seekers arriving on the Australian mainland by boat.
The letter has been signed by a range of people and organisations engaged in human rights, international development and refugee issues. Expressing “deep concern” at the Bill, the signatories write, “Based on advice from eminent international lawyers, we believe that the principles embodied in the Refugee Convention would be circumvented by passage of the bill.
“The central principle of the Convention is the right of those with a well founded fear of being persecuted to claim refuge in the country they have fled to. West Papuan asylum seekers, against whom the bill is apparently directed, have been assessed by the Department of Immigration as having a legitimate claim to refugee status under the Convention and existing Australian law.
“At a time when your Government has been taking steps towards a more compassionate refugee policy, this new bill represents a retreat from Australia’s international obligations and from the principles of humanity on which the treatment of asylum seekers should be based. If other countries were encouraged by Australia’s example to adopt similar laws, the entire international refugee system would be liable to collapse.
“We understand the Government’s desire to address important bilateral political tensions. However, this bill is not the appropriate way to resolve such concerns. It would impose unnecessary costs on Australian taxpayers, would further undermine Australia’s credibility in the human rights and international development fields, and would have unacceptably high human costs for asylum seekers left in limbo in detention facilities outside Australia.
“We call on you to withdraw this bill from Parliament and return to the Government’s stated agenda of implementing a fair and humane refugee policy in line with Australia’s international obligations and community expectations.”
For more information
National President of UNAA John Langmore (03) 9486 5331 or e-mail John Langmore at langmore@att.net
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