The Refugee Action Coalition released this statement on July 9 in response to immigration minister Tony Burke's announcement that he would delay processing of asylum seekers who don't have their “documents”.
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Refugee groups have accused the Immigration Minister, Tony Burke, of playing politics with asylum seeker policy.
Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition said: “Tony Burke is singing the same misleading song as the Liberals. He needs to drop the ‘me too’ rhetoric if he wants to be taken seriously.
“He is giving the impression that asylum seekers do not have identification documents when they arrive, but that is not true.
“Consequently, Tony Burke’s announcement that asylum applicants ‘with identification papers will be dealt with first while those who destroy their papers or refuse to co-operate will be considered last’ is meaningless,” said Rintoul.
“While many do not bring passports because they are fake or because they can make it easier for them to be deported, the vast majority of asylum seekers do have identification papers.”
“Similarly, Kevin Rudd’s comments about extending ‘screening-out’ procedures to Iranians is all about Rudd shifting to the right on refugee policy for the election. The screening-out of Tamils has been widely condemned as an abuse of human rights.
“Screening-out has resulted in asylum seekers being sent back to danger. It is not even remotely possible to send Iranians back, but Bob Carr and Kevin Rudd seem to think it makes a good headline.
“And as for Frank Brennan’s proposal to fly ‘failed’ asylum seekers back to Indonesia, that is more election nonsense. Indonesia is no more likely to accept asylum seekers being returned by plane than they are going to allow the Coalition to turn boats back.
“Tony Burke’s announcement that children and families will be taken out of detention is very welcome. But this policy announcement only takes us back to Labor’s policy in 2007. Kevin Rudd and Labor have ignored that policy for five years.
“Kevin Rudd mark II will be measured by actions, not words. However, there has been precious little action to end detention or offshore processing and the words have been more like Tony Abbott’s than about humanitarian policy.”