Australian government's hard line

The Australian government has taken a tough stance against people smuggling from Indonesia with a "border protection" policy of turning back boats and locking asylum seekers who make landfall in offshore camps.

During the past 20 years the average number of asylum seekers has been about 1,000 a year. At the height of the people- smuggling controversy only 4,000 made it to Australia. Now few boats attempt the journey.

The Australian government says genuine asylum seekers should stay in the first safe camp after fleeing their homeland and apply for refugee status via the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Australia currently accepts about 6,000 refugees a year.

However a Human Rights Watch report claimed many asylum seekers knew little or nothing about UNHCR offices in Malaysia and Indonesia. The smugglers told them that applications in those countries would fail and they would be arrested.

Despite their bravery, initiative and determination - all qualities that would make them ideal citizens -- the boat people have been dubbed "illegals" and "queue-jumpers" by a hostile Australian public. The anger has grown since the advent of Islamic terrorism.

Some fear fundamentalists may seek a sea entry to Australia, bypassing checking procedures in the official refugee camps. Others claim the asylum seekers are not victims of persecution but "economic refugees" attracted by Australia's welfare system and high wages.

Ronnie Bala, a spokesman for IOM in Jakarta said the UNHCR had rejected all the Pasir Putih people's claims for refugee status and resettlement in any country.

"Their status is now 'irregular migrants'," he said. "It's better for them to go home, but we won't force them. It must be voluntary and we'll give them up to US$1,500 as resettlement money.

"In the past four years 877 people have left Indonesia for Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. So far no problems have been reported.

"I don't know how much longer the Indonesian government will allow the situation (at Pasir Putih) to continue but we shall feed them and counsel them to return.

"They should respect Indonesian rules and not take advantage of Indonesian generosity."

-- Duncan Graham