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Bob Carr accused of 'blanket assumption' about asylum seekers Bob Carr accused of 'blanket assumption' about asylum seekers
(3 months later)
The foreign minister, Bob Carr, is guilty of making an unfounded “blanket assumption” about asylum seekers which if it informed policy would contravene international law, according to the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Prof Gillian Triggs.The foreign minister, Bob Carr, is guilty of making an unfounded “blanket assumption” about asylum seekers which if it informed policy would contravene international law, according to the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Prof Gillian Triggs.
Triggs said she was waiting for government policy to become clearer before writing to the new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, but had been “very concerned” at statements by Carr that many Iranian asylum seekers were in fact “economic migrants”.Triggs said she was waiting for government policy to become clearer before writing to the new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, but had been “very concerned” at statements by Carr that many Iranian asylum seekers were in fact “economic migrants”.
She said Carr “can’t possibly know whether that statement is true because they haven’t processed anyone since last year and the evidence prior to that time was that 90% of applicants were genuine refugees”. She added: “It seems they are using a completely non-transparent process to arrive at a blanket judgment about a whole group of people.”She said Carr “can’t possibly know whether that statement is true because they haven’t processed anyone since last year and the evidence prior to that time was that 90% of applicants were genuine refugees”. She added: “It seems they are using a completely non-transparent process to arrive at a blanket judgment about a whole group of people.”
The government is understood to be considering changes to the refugee determination system to quickly reject more of the alleged “economic migrants”, but Triggs said “a quickie process based on blanket assumption is directly contrary to Australia’s obligation under international law, which provides that each individual must be assessed according to their own circumstances”.The government is understood to be considering changes to the refugee determination system to quickly reject more of the alleged “economic migrants”, but Triggs said “a quickie process based on blanket assumption is directly contrary to Australia’s obligation under international law, which provides that each individual must be assessed according to their own circumstances”.
Carr also said recently: “The fact is, these people are middle-class Iranians. They're leaving their country because of the economic pressures.”Carr also said recently: “The fact is, these people are middle-class Iranians. They're leaving their country because of the economic pressures.”
But Triggs said that comment missed the point.But Triggs said that comment missed the point.
She said: “Iran before the revolution was an educated middle-class society. It is entirely possible that people who might be middle-class and educated would have opinions that are a different from the religious mullahs and mean they were subject to persecution whether they have money, whether they are part of a majority group. These are not the relevant legal questions,” she said.She said: “Iran before the revolution was an educated middle-class society. It is entirely possible that people who might be middle-class and educated would have opinions that are a different from the religious mullahs and mean they were subject to persecution whether they have money, whether they are part of a majority group. These are not the relevant legal questions,” she said.
The executive director of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre, David Manne, said it was important for Australia to “resist the fact-defying myths contained in Carr’s comments, and not use them as an excuse to retreat from our international obligations”.The executive director of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre, David Manne, said it was important for Australia to “resist the fact-defying myths contained in Carr’s comments, and not use them as an excuse to retreat from our international obligations”.
Rudd will meet the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, later this week for discussions that will include asylum policy, and his government is actively considering changes to asylum processing developed by a special task force set up by Gillard.Rudd will meet the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, later this week for discussions that will include asylum policy, and his government is actively considering changes to asylum processing developed by a special task force set up by Gillard.
Carr has said the Department of Foreign Affairs would gather information on the conditions in refugee source countries to help the refugee processing decisions.Carr has said the Department of Foreign Affairs would gather information on the conditions in refugee source countries to help the refugee processing decisions.
The Coalition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, just back from talks in Indonesia, said the government was only proposing “cosmetic changes before an election”.The Coalition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, just back from talks in Indonesia, said the government was only proposing “cosmetic changes before an election”.
He accused Labor of running a “tick and flick” process of refugee assessment.He accused Labor of running a “tick and flick” process of refugee assessment.
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