Southeast Asian cooperation cuts immigrant flow: Australia
Southeast Asian cooperation cuts immigrant flow: Australia
Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur
Cooperation by Southeast Asian countries has cut the number of
illegal immigrants arriving in Australia, Immigration Minister
Philip Ruddock said on Tuesday.
"We have been able to work with the countries in the region,
to the extent that since December last year we have been able to
manage the situation with no unauthorized boat arrivals," he told
reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's East
Asia summit here.
"It has been a substantial change from where we were 12 months
ago," he said.
Malaysia and Indonesia had been identified in the past as hubs
for illegal immigrants trying to reach Australia by boat.
Ruddock said the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States
reinforced the need to detain people who enter Australia
illegally and Canberra would not shift its policy despite
criticism from rights activists.
Australia has a tough policy under which illegal immigrants
are locked up in detention centers while their claims for asylum
are examined.
"It reinforces the government's view that we were right to be
able to detain people who came without lawful entry," he said.
Security was a key concern for Australia, hence those who
entered Australia illegally required tough vetting.
"It is to ensure we do not expose ourselves to potential
security or even potential criminal activities from people who
access Australia.
"If people arrive in Australia without lawful authority, we do
need to know who they are, we do need to know whether they pose
risk. One of the reasons why we detain people who arrive without
lawful authority is to enable us to check those issues," he said.
Ruddock said another reason for the action was to ensure
Australia's asylum program was not abused and to maintain "our
role as a generous settler of refugees."
"We want to ensure that we are able to assist those who are in
the most vulnerable situation, who are in need for resettlement
outcomes, knowing very few countries provides those
opportunities," he said.
Ruddock said Australia was third to the U.S. and Canada in
terms of resettlement programs.
On a lighter note, Ruddock said he was flattered with the
announcement by a refugee family that it had named their new-born
baby after him.
Baby Philip Ruddock was born to Iraqi asylum seekers in Port
Moresby General Hospital a few weeks ago.
He was the third child of the couple, who remain in detention
on the Papua New Guinean island of Manus, but have been granted
refugee status.