Australia says it is trying to deter asylum seekers from making dangerous sea voyages
Australia has confirmed it has returned 41 asylum seekers to the Sri Lankan authorities at sea.
The transfer took place on Sunday.
Rights groups had raised concerns that some 200 Sri Lankans may have been handed over, including Tamils who say they face persecution at home.
The government has not commented on other possible cases, but says everyone was subject to "enhanced screening" to ensure compliance with Australia's international obligations.
The is the first time the government has confirmed it has intercepted people at sea, screened them and returned them to their country of origin.
The government says only four of those returned on Sunday were Tamils.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged on Mondaythat a boat-load of 41 people had been handed back to Sri Lanka, while not commenting on the fate of a second boat reportedly carrying about 150 people.
He said they were transferred at sea just outside the Sri Lankan port of Batticaloa on Sunday.
"All persons intercepted and returned were subjected to an enhanced screening process," he said.
Mr Morrison added that only one person may have had a case for asylum but he opted to return voluntarily with the rest of the passengers.
'Deep concerns'
Richard Marles, Australia's shadow minister for immigration, questioned the operation.
"Australia's international obligations are reliant upon a credible processing system and we have deep concerns about how that could have been performed by video link at sea in a way which gave an individual assessment, when all the time the boat was steaming towards Sri Lanka," he said.
0 comments:
Post a Comment