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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Canberra signals immigration move | Canberra signals immigration move |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Australia's new government has accepted seven Burmese asylum seekers being held in Nauru, signalling a wind-down of a controversial immigration policy. | Australia's new government has accepted seven Burmese asylum seekers being held in Nauru, signalling a wind-down of a controversial immigration policy. |
| Immigration Minister Chris Evans said admitting the group was a first step in dismantling the previous government's so-called "Pacific Solution". | Immigration Minister Chris Evans said admitting the group was a first step in dismantling the previous government's so-called "Pacific Solution". |
| Under the policy, all asylum seekers arriving by boat were sent to remote Pacific camps for refugee assessment. | Under the policy, all asylum seekers arriving by boat were sent to remote Pacific camps for refugee assessment. |
| Rights groups criticised the policy and Labor promised to end it if elected. | Rights groups criticised the policy and Labor promised to end it if elected. |
| It is the second major change since Labor swept to victory in last month's polls. | It is the second major change since Labor swept to victory in last month's polls. |
| Last week, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd signed documents to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change - something his predecessor John Howard opposed. | |
| Mr Howard's tough stance against immigrants was condemned by human rights groups, but it was always supported by many Australians. | |
| During his election campaign, Mr Rudd vowed to maintain a hard line on the issue of immigation, while making clear he was against the "Pacific Solution". | |
| Poor conditions | Poor conditions |
| Mr Evans said that the Burmese refugees, who have been detained in Nauru for more than a year, would be resettled in Queensland, hopefully before the end of the month. | Mr Evans said that the Burmese refugees, who have been detained in Nauru for more than a year, would be resettled in Queensland, hopefully before the end of the month. |
| "There's no reason why they shouldn't be processed quickly," he said. "In fact in my view they should have been processed some time ago, but we're keen to resolve their issues." | "There's no reason why they shouldn't be processed quickly," he said. "In fact in my view they should have been processed some time ago, but we're keen to resolve their issues." |
| The government also hoped to resolve cases of about 80 Sri Lankans detained in the Pacific island nation as soon as possible, he said. | The government also hoped to resolve cases of about 80 Sri Lankans detained in the Pacific island nation as soon as possible, he said. |
| A team of officials flew there on Sunday to speed up the assessment process. | A team of officials flew there on Sunday to speed up the assessment process. |
| The "Pacific Solution" was introduced as a deterrent in 2001, following a reported rise in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat. | The "Pacific Solution" was introduced as a deterrent in 2001, following a reported rise in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat. |
| Canberra set up detention centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, deploying its navy to divert all boats carrying asylum seekers to Australia to those camps. | Canberra set up detention centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, deploying its navy to divert all boats carrying asylum seekers to Australia to those camps. |
| But rights groups condemned the move, which led to many refugees being detained for months in high-security camps, often in poor conditions. | But rights groups condemned the move, which led to many refugees being detained for months in high-security camps, often in poor conditions. |
| The camp in Nauru was hit by hunger strikes as detainees protested against their treatment, and in recent years the government has scaled back the number of detainees. | The camp in Nauru was hit by hunger strikes as detainees protested against their treatment, and in recent years the government has scaled back the number of detainees. |
| Chief Executive of the Refugee Council of Australia Paul Power welcomed Labor's move to change the policy. | |
| "It (the 'Pacific Solution') was a failed policy that created great psychological damage to people who had committed no crime and undermined Australia's international reputation on human rights," he said in a statement. | "It (the 'Pacific Solution') was a failed policy that created great psychological damage to people who had committed no crime and undermined Australia's international reputation on human rights," he said in a statement. |