NRI Weighs Positive and Negatives of Asylum Deal

Em Tv News


The National Research Institute weighed out the positive and negatives of the Asylum seeker issue.

 

National Research Institute’s Gande James commentary starts off with the negative implications:

First, there are no proper institutional mechanisms put in place to regulate the effects of the arrangement. For example, there are no separate laws like the Asylum Seeker Act to deal with any issues of asylum seekers.

 

Those who are granted refugee status will not enjoy all the human rights owed to them under the refugee convention. He says violence is endemic in PNG, so refugees will not be physically safe.

 

He talks about the lack of services given the chronic poverty in PNG and the lack of capacity of the PNG government and its institutions.

 

He says the deal is against International Law and other supporting legislation.

 

For example, Australia is likely to violate Article 31 of the refugee convention not to penalize an asylum seeker on account of his or her “illegal” mode of entry to Australia. 

 

In terms of the benefits, Gande James says the Government of Papua New Guinea only has the spin off benefits of the deal.

 

 He says PNG does not need extra money or aid to enhance its economic development.  The negative repercussions need to be carefully considered.

 

Instruments that will govern the administration of Asylum seeker processing in the country was signed on Tuesday by Foreign affairs minister Rimbink Pato and Australian high commissioner to PNG Deborah stokes.

 

The Memorandum of Understanding covers 24 key areas including the right for Australia to transfer refugees from Australia to PNG, and processing centres may be built anywhere in PNG.

 

The MOU may jointly be altered if the need arises.