MEDIA RELEASE
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14 September 2012
Australia starts sending Sri Lankan asylum seekers to Nauru
Australia’s Minister of Immigration and Citizenship, Hon Chris Bowen MP, announced today that Australia had commenced off-shore processing of asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat. A group of thirty Sri Lankan males have been transferred from Christmas Island to the Pacific island country of Nauru, where their claims for asylum will be processed.
This transfer of Sri Lankan asylum seekers demonstrates that people smugglers cannot guarantee that people attempting to reach Australia by boat will have their claims processed in Australia.
Under the new Australian offshore processing policy anyone coming to Australia by boat is eligible for transfer to Nauru. There are no blanket exemptions to this policy. It applies to all asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat.
“The message for people smugglers and asylum seekers in the region is clear: if you arrive in Australia by boat you can be taken from Australia by aeroplane and processed in another country”, Mr Bowen said.
“Transfers to Nauru will now continue to take place regularly”, Mr Bowen also said.
Sri Lankans considering joining a people smuggling venture to Australia should be aware that if they try to travel to Australia by boat without a visa they:
- may not be processed in Australia
- will be eligible for transfer to another country, such as Nauru, to be processed
- will not be able to earn money in Nauru to send back to their family in Sri Lanka.
Under Australia’s revised policy:
- asylum seekers will not be able to sponsor family to join them under Australia’s humanitarian program
- asylum seekers could be resettled in another country, not Australia.
Australia will continue to return those who are not found to be refugees back to their country of origin.
There is no advantage or benefit to people who arrive in Australia by boat.
Further information on the risks of joining people smuggling ventures to Australia, including the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship’s press conference on the commencement of offshore processing of asylum seekers, can be found at: www.youtube.com/notopeoplesmuggling.