Off Topic

NZ Under Pressure to Take Asylum Seekers: Report

1 reply · 60 views
over 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
NZ Under Pressure to Take Asylum Seekers: Report
Permalink Permalink
over 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Not sure if you guys ahve heard about this, but this is how the matter is being reported over here. Similar issue occured around 2001 with the Tampa boat.
 
 
New Zealand Government under pressure to take Oceanic Viking asylum seekers <!-- google_ad_section_end(name=story_line}) --><!-- // .story-line -->
  • By Tamara McLean
  • From: AAP
  • November 11, 2009 9:24AM
 
THE New Zealand Government is coming under increased internal pressure to accept some of the 78 asylum seekers aboard the Australian customs vessel Oceanic Viking. <!-- google_ad_section_end(name=story_introduction) --><!-- // .story-intro --><!-- google_ad_section_start(name=story_, weight=medium) -->

The ethnic Tamils are still refusing to leave the boat, which has been anchored off the Indonesian island of Bintan for more than two weeks.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key confirmed that the nation would not be coming to Australia's aid, saying the existing regional agreement, the Bali Process, was the best way forward.

"From our perspective we wouldn't want to be encouraging what we see as the wrong sort of behaviour so at this stage we think (resettling them in New Zealand) very unlikely," Mr Key said.

The decision shows a marked departure from co-operation on immigration matters from New Zealand's conservative National Government, in power since last November. The past Government, led by Helen Clark, willingly accepted 131 of 438 asylum seekers rescued off Western Australia in 2001.

But this latest response has been unpopular internally, with the country's strong Green Party saying the situation is no different to the Tampa scenario in 2001.

"I think it's a compassionate gesture in the tradition of us taking in the Afghan refugees," said Green Party MP Keith Locke.

"It's just the same."

He said New Zealand could comfortably take some of the Sri Lankans as part of its annual quota, as very few asylum seekers had been arriving at the country's airports.

"Also, it's part of the Anzac spirit of sharing the load," Mr Locke said.

New Zealand's Refugee Council and Amnesty International branch also urged the Government to change its stance.

"There's absolutely no reason why they should not settle successfully in New Zealand, and the New Zealand Government should take its responsibility very seriously in this regard," Amnesty chief Patrick Holmes said.

But the Government appears unlikely to budge, with Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman confirming the country would not support an "ad hoc" resettlement process.

"We're wary of rewarding actions that seek to jump the queue for entry to New Zealand," Mr Coleman said.

The rebuff increases pressure on the Australian Government to resolve the stand-off over the Oceanic Viking. 

<!-- google_ad_section_end(name=story_) --><!-- // .story- -->
Permalink Permalink