Fed: Detention policy tough but fair: Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2006
Fed: Detention policy tough but fair: Downer

CANBERRA, April 13 AAP - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has defended tough new asylum
laws, saying the government has to prevent people exploiting Australia's generosity.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone has announced a new hardline policy under which
asylum seekers who arrive in Australia without visas are sent offshore for processing.

Even if they are found to be refugees, they will be kept offshore until they can be
sent to another country.

Cabinet's national security committee signed off on the plan following weeks of high
tension between Australia and Indonesia over 42 successful Papuan claims for protection.

Mr Downer said Australia did not want to be seen in the same light as some European
countries that are exploited for their generosity.

"We don't want a situation which they've seen in some other parts of the world - particularly
in Europe - where people, if you like, exploit the generosity of our country and we end
up with a major problem," he told Southern Cross Radio.

"Our approach has always been - sure it's been tough - but I think it's been fair."

He said Australia would not be cruel to asylum seekers.

"In terms of how we deal with people who arrive in Australia ... without a valid visa
... is that we will deal with them consistent with our international obligations," he
said.

"And we do have international obligations under the United Nations Refugee Convention
and we'll obviously deal with them in a humanitarian way - won't be cruel to them."

He said Australia's relationship with Indonesia was important, however.

"The relationship is important to us, not just for the sake of the relationship, but
because it bears on a whole lot of issues - our capacity to fight terrorism is influenced
by our capacity to work with the Indonesians," he said.

"We've got a major illegal fishing problem on the north-west coast of Australia, with
illegal fishing coming from Indonesia.

"So, in order to address those types of issues we need to have a working relationship with them."

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