Returning asylum seekers effective - Australian minister
Returning Sri Lankan asylum seekers back home has been effective
in reducing the number of boat people coming from the island nation, Australia's
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has said.
Speaking to Australian media, the Minister has said the
government took the tough decision to return the boat people who were not
refugees.
"We took the tough decision to return people to Sri Lanka when
they're not refugees," Mr. Bowen has said.
"We have returned around 700 people involuntarily to Sri Lanka,
and we have seen the number of people coming from Sri Lanka fall to a trickle,"
Mr. Bowen has told Sky News on Wednesday.
Australia has returned 942 Sri Lankans home - both voluntarily
and involuntarily - since August 13 when the Australian government decided to
send asylum seekers arriving in boats to offshore regional processing facilities
in Nauru and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
Following the enforcement of the new law, 213 Sri Lankans have
returned home voluntarily. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship says it
is further proof that there is no advantage engaging with people smugglers to
migrate to Australia.
The Australian Minister has said that only three Sri Lankans had
come to Australia by boat this month.
Most of the boat people arrived this month was from Afghanistan
and Iran and some from Iraq, Mr. Bowen has said.
Courtesy : President Media Unit
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