Amanda Hodge, in The Australian, 25 September 2012 ….. while this news item has been retrieved from the online presentation, a print version of the same news story indicates that the 18 men were made up of 14 Sinhalese, 1 Muslim and 3 Tamils. If most of the Sinhalese were trawler crew, they would probably not have paid any money for the voyage [and may even have been paid something for their work]. This means that they are now richer by 3300$ worth of goods at the Sri Lankan end — which is what the Australian government is offering through IOM as a sweetener towards the choice of returning. Web Editor …. On Thursday 27 September, an item by Hodge indicated that six of the eighteen had been deemed crewmen and were not entitled to grants [though they seemed to have been misled in Australia on this point]. The majority of the 18 are said to be from the Negombo Chilaw area and from fishing families. On the Wednesday her account highlighted the circumstances and thoughts of Joseph Fernando. Though all had been released after preliminary questioning, both her reports suggest concern among these ordinary people — who, i stress, are not journalists and not activists — about their personal safety. Readers have to assess the validity of such fears [if, indeed, Hodge is not imposing her wishful thinking through their voices].
EIGHTEEN Sri Lankan male asylum seekers have been sent home after refusing to be transferred to the offshore processing centre on Nauru, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said. Mr Bowen said that the Sri Lankans left Christmas Island for Colombo today after asking to be sent home instead of being sent to the Pacific island for the processing of their claims as asylum seekers.
The first group to be sent for offshore processing since new asylum seeker laws were enacted were transferred from Christmas Island to Nauru on September 14. Australia has reopened the processing centre at Nauru and is soon to reopen Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island as part of the federal government’s policy to stem the number of boat arrivals.
Mr Bowen also said that the government would introduce a recommendation from the Houston independent panel to bar people arriving by boat from sponsoring family members under the Special Humanitarian Program. The Houston report on asylum seeker policy, handed to the government on August 13, recommended 22 key measures to stem the boat arrivals to Australia.
Mr Bowen said the plane carrying the 18 men left Christmas Island this morning, bound for the Sri Lankan capital. He said 16 of the 18 men arrived in Australia after August 13, when the government announced its new border protection policies. “They have asked not be transferred to Nauru, but instead to be returned to their homeland of Sri Lanka,” Mr Bowen told reporters in Sydney today. “That has been arranged and facilitated.”
Mr Bowen said that the government’s move exposed the lie of the rhetoric from people smugglers in offering a passage to Australia. “These people have been misled by people smugglers to believe that a visa would be available on their arrival in Australia,” he said. “What this transfer does, and together with the transfer to Nauru over the last week, show is that if you come to Australia by boat, you risk your life and you throw your money away.”
The minister said the changes to the concessions under the special humanitarian program would ensure family reunions occurred only through the normal channels. “There will be no special concessions,” Mr Bowen said. “Up until now it had been possible for people who arrive in Australia by boat to sponsor family members and not to show that the other requirements under the special humanitarian program were met.”
Mr Bowen said the government had also accepted the recommendation to increase the numbers of people accepted under the family reunion program by 4000. Mr Bowen also rejected claims by the Australian Greens that mental health support for asylum seekers at Australia’s two offshore processing centres was insufficient.
“We do know there is an alarming lack of mental health services that will be provided to refugees on both Nauru and on Manus Island,” Greens immigrations spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young told ABC Radio today.
Mr Bowen said the Greens were wrong and that they did not understand the counselling services available. “The counselling services that are available on Nauru consist of a minimum of two counsellors and two medically-trained professionals regardless of the numbers on Nauru at any particular time,” Mr Bowen said.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said earlier today that the arrival yesterday of another boat of asylum seekers showed that the federal government could not manage the nation’s borders. Australian authorities intercepted a boat carrying 17 suspected asylum seekers yesterday, the 144th boat intercepted in Australian waters this year.
“This is a government that plainly has lost control of Australia’s borders,” Mr Abbott told reporters in Brisbane. Mr Abbott said Labor had brought back offshore processing of asylum seekers at Nauru but that the measure would not succeed as a deterrent to people smugglers. He said the government had to also reintroduce temporary protection visas and the option of turning boats back where safe to do so. “Unless the government is prepared to do this, I fear the boats will just keep coming in ever increasing numbers,” he said.
Mr Abbott said everyone who came to Australia should be appropriately treated, but a strong message had to be sent to people smugglers. “We won’t stop the boats if we don’t make it crystal clear that there is no red carpet treatment for people arriving illegally in Australia,” he said.
Under domestic and international law, it is legal for people to seek asylum in Australia. The boat intercepted on Friday was the 41st since the federal government announced its offshore processing policy on August 13. The 41 boats carried a total of 2324 people.
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SKY NEWS report on same topic ... http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=797812
Eighteen Sri Lankan male asylum seekers have been sent home for refusing to go to Nauru, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says.
Mr Bowen says the Sri Lankans left Christmas Island for Colombo on Saturday after asking to be sent home instead of being sent to the Pacific island for the processing of their claims as asylum seekers.
The first group to be sent for offshore processing since new asylum seeker laws were enacted were transferred from Christmas Island to Nauru on September 14.
Australia has reopened the processing centre at Nauru and is soon to reopen Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island as part of the federal government’s policy to stem the number of boat arrivals.
Mr Bowen also said the government would introduce a recommendation from the Houston independent panel to bar people arriving by boat from sponsoring family under the Special Humanitarian Program.
The Houston report on asylum seeker policy, handed to the government on August 13, recommended 22 key measures to stem the boat arrivals to Australia.
Mr Bowen said the plane carrying the 18 men left Christmas Island at 0815 (1115 AEST) on Saturday bound for the Sri Lankan capital.
He said 16 of the 18 men arrived in Australia after August 13, when the government announced its new border protection policies.
‘They have asked not be transferred to Nauru, but instead to be returned to their homeland of Sri Lanka,’ Mr Bowen told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.
‘That has been arranged and facilitated.’
Mr Bowen said the government’s move exposed the lie of the rhetoric from people smugglers in offering a passage to Australia.
‘These people have been misled by people smugglers to believe that a visa would be available on their arrival in Australia,’ he said.
‘What this transfer does, and together with the transfer to Nauru over the last week, show is that if you come to Australia by boat, you risk your life and you throw your money away.’
The minister said the changes to the concessions under the special humanitarian program would ensure family reunions occurred only through the normal channels.
‘There will be no special concessions,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘Up until now it had been possible for people who arrive in Australia by boat to sponsor family members and not to show that the other requirements under the special humanitarian program were met.’
Mr Bowen said the government had also accepted the recommendation to increase the numbers of people accepted under the family reunion program by 4000.
Mr Bowen rejected claims by the Australian Greens that mental health support for asylum seekers at Australia’s two offshore processing centres was insufficient.
‘We do know there is an alarming lack of mental health services that will be provided to refugees on both Nauru and on Manus Island,’ Greens immigrations spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young told ABC Radio on Saturday.
Mr Bowen said the Greens were ‘wrong’ and they did not understand the counselling services available. ‘The counselling services that are available on Nauru consist of a minimum of two counsellors and two medically trained professionals regardless of the numbers on Nauru at any particular time,’ Mr Bowen said.
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ALSO SEE ** “Sri Lankan asylum seekers return home as two new boats arrive”…… http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/sri-lankan-asylum-seekers-return-home-as-two-new-boats-arrive-20120929-26rpt.html
** “Return ticket from ‘heaven’ ends dream of better life for Sri Lankan voyagers,” by Ben Doherty, in http://www.smh.com.au/world/return-ticket-from-heaven-ends-dream-of-better-life-for-sri-lankan-voyagers-20120928-26qs7.html
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