'Pacific Solution' - Now What?

Julia Gillard - Shadow Minister for Population & Immigration

Media Statement - 13 June 2002

Minister Ruddock and the Howard Government must explain what is the future of the 'Pacific Solution'.

The announcement by the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees of its processing decisions and the imminent announcement of the DIMIA processing outcomes means that the Howard Government is fast approaching the time when it will know who is a genuine refugee and who is not.

According to the recent statements of President Rene Harris of Nauru, the Howard Government is also fast approaching the time when all asylum seekers must be taken off Nauru.

The Howard Government stated in the May Budget that it would maintain the 'Pacific Solution' over the next four years. It is time for the Howard Government to admit that the Budget documents do not tell the truth and that it does has not have an agreement with PNG or Nauru or anywhere else regarding asylum seeker processing for the next four years.

It is also time for the Howard Government to admit that the Prime Minister's promise to the Australian people that not one Tampa asylum seeker would ever come to Australia was nothing more than pre-election hot air and that persons from the Tampa will end up in Australia.

Australians have the right to hear honest answers to the following questions:

How many genuine refugees are going to be resettled in Australia and when will this happen?

It is obscene that persons who have been found to be genuine refugees who fled persecution are being required to wait in offshore detention facilities while Minister Ruddock dithers.

What is going to happen to those found not to be genuine refugees?

Labor supports repatriation assistance for those who wish to return to Afghanistan voluntarily. But what does Minister Ruddock intend to do for those who do not accept voluntary returns?

What does the Minister intend to do in relation to Afghan asylum seeker whose claims have been rejected?

The Minister has not negotiated any arrangement with Afghanistan that would enable forced returns. Notwithstanding that those who have been rejected can be re-interviewed, the low acceptance rate of these asylum seekers shows the urgent need for the Government to find a real solution in relation to these people. UNHCR is advocating that there be no forcible returns to Afghanistan at this stage given the country is still not stable, de-mining is still in progress and basic infrastructure is still being rebuilt. Given the reality that large numbers of Afghan asylum seekers will need to be returned but cannot be returned now, a proper time limited safe haven arrangement is clearly the best solution. Labor has advocated this approach for a number of months. It is now time for the Government to act.