Australia 'can't Just Ignore' Asylum-Seekers
Australia may be disregarding its
international obligations by forcefully sending asylum-seekers to Papua New
Guinea (PNG) and other detention centres aboard.
Alleged violations of UN obligations have
come up as Australia deported seven men who landed at Torres Strait, to seek
asylum, after escaping from Indonesian territory of West Papua. The men had
participated in a protest against Indonesian human rights abuses in West Papua
and now feared for their lives. At
Torres Strait, they were arrested by authorities and finally deported to a remote
refugee camp close to the Indonesian border.
"We
can't just ignore [their claim for asylum]," said Anna Copeland, director
of the clinical legal program at Murdoch University, quoted by Guardian
Australia.
"Because
we're signatories to the UN refugee convention the whole obligation is that we
don't just ignore it.
"We are
supposed to implement [the convention] in good faith with the intention that it
was set out, so this kind of manoeuvring to be able to refuse is a breach of
our international obligations," she emphasised.
Following
the deportation, Australia’s immigration minister Scott Morrison said the West
Papuans were deported under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2003.
Under the
agreement, Australia can deport asylum seekers to PNG if they have spent more
than seven days in that country prior to their arrival on Australian shores.
The West
Papuans repeatedly told Australian immigration officials that they had only
spent two days in PNG on their way to Australia.
Experts,
however, feel the memorandum does not allow Australia to forcefully deported asylum-seekers
to an area they consider hostile.
‘In Australia we feel safe’
Australia is
obliged to ensure the asylum-seekers have a fair chance to have their request considered
and ensure their safety from persecution in the interim.
Guardian
Australia, interviewed one of the seven West Papuan asylum-seekers, Yacob
Mechrian Mandabayan, and quoted him saying he feared for his life as the
detention centre was close to the porous Indonesian border.
The group’s
attempt to get a stay on their relocation to the camp was thwarted as PNG
immigration officials who forcefully transferred them to the remote detention
camp before their application with Port Moresby Court could be taken up.
"We do
not feel safe here because this place is not guarded by police or security
guards," he said. The group feels dumped at the camp: "to just stay
until we die in here".
Fearing persecution, the group has refused to seek asylum in PNG and there was no immediate chance of their asylum request to Australia will be processed any time soon.
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