“Australia’s turn back policy may be directly contributing to deaths at sea in Europe,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“The Coalition’s ‘stop the boats’ slogan was just an ultimatum to asylum seekers to ‘die somewhere else’ backed up by the military – and ‘dying somewhere else’ may be exactly what’s happening.
“There are many asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa languishing in Australian detention centres and on Nauru and Manus Island.
“The Coalition has not stopped the boats; the boats have only been intercepted or displaced. At least 17 boats have attempted to get to Australia since Operation Sovereign Borders began. The navy ship that is returning Vietnamese asylum seekers could just as easily have brought them safely to Australia.
“By denying safe passage for people to come to Indonesia and then to Australia, African and Middle Eastern asylum seekers may have no alternative but to try to get to Europe to find safety.
“Abbott thinks he can grandstand and lecture Europe about ‘stopping the boats’. But, the Australian government’s policy is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Talk of implementing an Australian turn back policy in Europe is folly and would only increase the dangers for asylum seekers.
“Nor is retired Major-General Molan in any position to be lecturing European leaders about saving lives. The tragedy in the Mediterranean is not a people-smuggling disaster; it is a humanitarian disaster.
“The increase in deaths at sea in the Mediterranean is directly attributable to European governments ending the funding for Italy’s ‘Mare Nostrum’ rescue operation, last year. Until it was wound back, ‘Mare Nostrum’ had rescued around 130,000 people in 2014 alone.
“Europe needs to urgently re-instate funding for rescue operations in the Mediterranean, and allow safe passage for asylum seekers. If the Australian government was seriously interested in saving lives, it would end Operation Sovereign Borders, fund an effective search and rescue program, and guarantee that refugees in Indonesia would be quickly resettled in Australia.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
