UN CONCERNED ABOUT AUSTRALIA'S ASYLUM FREEZE

SYDNEY, Australia – The United Nations has raised concerns about Australia's decision to freeze asylum applications from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, saying it could leave people in detention for prolonged periods.

Australia this month suspended applications from Afghans and Sri Lankans, saying the situation in their war-weary homelands had improved and fewer nationals of these countries would likely be considered refugees in the future.

• "UNHCR is concerned that Australia's mandatory detention regime will apply to affected Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum-seekers for prolonged periods, without clear guidelines or effective judicial oversight," the UN agency said Friday.
• It said that while there were situations in which the freezing of applications could be appropriate, the new system -- which has been criticised as discriminatory -- needed safeguards to protect asylum seekers.
• Regional representative Richard Towle, who is the UNHCR's representative for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, said the treatment of asylum seekers should not be punitive or discriminatory.
• Hundreds of Sri Lankans and Afghans have made the perilous sea journey to Australia this year seeking asylum, many of them in wooden fishing boats departing from Indonesia and other Asian countries.
• All illegal boat arrivals face mandatory detention in Australia until their visa claims are processed.
• Under the new rules, asylum seekers from Afghanistan will be unable to apply for a visa for six months and Sri Lankans for three months and will have to remain in detention for this time.
• The UNHCR has repeatedly said the detention of asylum seekers is inherently undesirable, and that many other countries host much larger numbers of refugees than Australia.
• The UN statement came as Australian officials intercepted another vessel carrying boatpeople, bringing to 43 the number of such boats to have entered Australia so far this year.

Source: AFP