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NETIPR SUBMISSION ON ASYLUMSEEKERS
POSTED 13 AUG 99 6:00AM
FOLLOWING IS NET-IPR SUBMISSION TO AUSTRALIAN JOINT STANDING COMMITTE ON
MIGRATION, CONTENT OF WHICH INCLUDE MATTERS CONCERNS ABOUT EAST
TIMORESE REFUGEES AND BOATPEOPLES IN AUSTRALIA,INFO FOR ALL OUR FRIENDS.
--- REGARDS, U NE OO.
*******************************
Dated: 5 February 1999.
Hon Chris Gallus
c/o-- Secretary
Joint Standing Committee on Migration
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600.
Dear Hon Chris Gallus
re: Review of migration regulation 4.31B
As the secretary of NetIPR, I like to express my concerns about the
Australian Government's introduction of a $1,000 post-decision fee at
the Refugee Review Tribunal to unsuccessful asylum-seekers. I believe
the introduction of such fees intimidate the asylum-seekers from
pursuing their claim to refugee status at the Refugee Review Tribunal.
The government's statistics indicate that the Refugee Review Tribunal
approves a significant percentage of the applicants, i.e. 70% of the
detained boat people for example, who were not recognised as refugee by
the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.
I do not share your government's view that all refugee applicants should
have the ability to judge their own claim to refugee status to be 'bona
fide' in Australian legal contexts and, thus, these asylum-seekers
should be penalised when their application is found unsuccessful. Many
of the refugee applicants are from varying background including those
who cannot speak English. The refugees, therefore, are in no position
to be able to judge the Australian legal contexts. At this point, I
express my grave concerns about your government restricting the
Non-Governmental Organisations, Lawyers and the Human Rights Committee
contacting the asylum-seekers, especially the boat people.
I also like to express my concern about the Australian Government's
treatment of the East Timorese asylum -seekers. The previous Labour
government has refused to grant asylum to approximately 1,400 East
Timorese on the ground that those asylum-seekers are of Portugese
citizenship. Current coalition government is also threatening to
legislate against the East Timorese seeking asylum in Australia. I like
to point out to your committee that those actions and words by the
successive Australian Governments are violating the spirit of the UN
Refugee Convention in protecting refugees. Reports indicate the
Australian Government's introduction of such fee including other
measures to restrict legal assistance have already caused further
hardship and insecurity to the asylum-seekers in Australia, especially
those East Timorese.
The Amnesty International in June 1998 reported the authorities'
continued detention of three refugee that were granted protection by
the Australian government. I appeal your government for the prompt
release of those recognized refugees who may have been in detention.
In closing, I thank you for your kind attention to these matters.
Yours sincerely,
(U Ne Oo)
Secretary
Network for International Protection of Refugees
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--
HTTP://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~uneoo
EMAILS: drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx, uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
POSTMAIL: Dr U Ne Oo, 18 Shannon Place, Adelaide SA 5000, AUSTRALIA
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