Aust 'violates asylum seeker child rights'

[geovalin]

Aust 'violates asylum seeker child rights'

Published: 11:53 am, Sunday, 19 April 2015

The United Nations Childrens' Fund says Australia is violating the rights of children being sent from Nauru to Cambodia under the refugee transfer agreement.

UNICEF has joined a chorus of international agencies in raising concerns over the $A40 million refugee resettlement pact with Cambodia, with the first of the refugees expected to be flown out from Nauru this week.

UNICEF has warned that no government policy or action should knowingly put childrens' lives or their well being at increased risk.

A UNICEF spokesman, Chris de Bono, said Australia and Cambodia needed to be aware of their international obligation under the convention to protect children.

'The world has an expectation that as signatories to the convention on the rights of the child, whatever action they take, they will have given due consideration to its impact on children and they will put the best interests of the child as a primary concern in making any decision,' de Bono told AAP.

Analysts say Australia may be in breach of the convention given the threat of the childrens' rights being violated due to the transfer from Nauru to Cambodia.

A recent Australian report by a former integrity commissioner, Philip Moss, on conditions at the Australian funded centre in Nauru was highly critical and detailed allegations of rape and assault, self harm among children, and trading of sexual favours for drugs.

The UNICEF comments come against a backdrop of heightened fears over the welfare of the detainees both in Nauru and at detention centres in Australia, especially the Wickham Point facility in Darwin.

On Saturday a number of detainees with at least one three-month-old child were flown from Darwin to Nauru despite protests.

In the coming week, possibly as early as Monday, a charter plane is expected to fly out from Nauru with some 10 refugees for resettlement in Cambodia.

- AAP

- See more at: http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/04/19/aust--violates-asylum-seeker-child-rights-.html#sthash.DMN3DZJi.dpuf

[simple1]

The previous Minister for Immigration, Scott Morrison, made it very clear that Australia is no longer bound by its signed and ratified UN refugee convention/s commitments.

Oz government has stated its policy for transferring people to Cambodia is based upon voluntary agreement. I guess those being transferred see its a better solution to being moved onto PNG mainland for resettlement or being stuck on Nauru without hope for a future.

The Oz Foreign Minister is visiting Iran & amongst other objectives seeking to persuade the Iranian government to accept the return of hundreds of Iranian boat people.

[Caveat Emptor]

Some countries are being besieged by people who just arrive, say we're here so what are you going to do for us ? there are genuine refugees but so many are economic migrants.

It's sad that do gooders want to stop countries maintaining the integrity of their own borders. How many of these self same do gooders would welcome immigrants setting in their own little neighbourhoods but it's so easy to expect someone else to do so.

[NongKhaiKid]

Some countries are being besieged by people who just arrive, say we're here so what are you going to do for us ? there are genuine refugees but so many are economic migrants.

It's sad that do gooders want to stop countries maintaining the integrity of their own borders. How many of these self same do gooders would welcome immigrants setting in their own little neighbourhoods but it's so easy to expect someone else to do so.

I was in Hong Kong in the '70s when the Vietnamese Boat people started arriving. Initially those who could prove links to the overthrown Sth. Vietnamese government or the US Military went to the US but later they flood included people happy to claim they were ex-NVA or the Viet Cong. Economic migrants pure and simple and nobody wanted them.

Early on the HK Government realised what was likely to happen and asked London for permission to refuse entry, being a colony HK had no say idefence or foreign policy etc. The 'chaps ' in London decided it would be bad form to turn the boat people away without any regard to the burden on an already overcrowded HK so the boat people kept arriving.

When I left in 1996 there were still more than 5,000 Vietnamese in camps with little hope of re-settlement and with the hand back to China due in 1997 Beijing wasn't happy saying this was a problem they didn't want to inherit as it wasn't of their making.

[geovalin]

If the refugees just want to enjoy a social program, they will be upset in Cambodia. But a young, willing, clever, educated, courageous, speaking English person can have a good life in Cambodia.

Excellent opportunity as the local human resource is not that strong. He / she even could find a cute and kind life companion.

[simple1]

If the refugees just want to enjoy a social program, they will be upset in Cambodia. But a young, willing, clever, educated, courageous, speaking English person can have a good life in Cambodia.

Excellent opportunity as the local human resource is not that strong. He / she even could find a cute and kind life companion.

Are there issues with hatred / bigotry towards Muslims in Cambodia?

[chainarong]

What the refugee experts forget to tell everyone that once these people are processed very few are actually refuges ,you cannot be a refugee paying someone 10 to 15 grand to get on a boat, the ones that get through end up on welfare payments which has caused problems, as they seem to get more than the regulars, the refugee centre at Northam West Aust has all the bells and whistles even a basketball court , something that the local high school has been lobbying for , for the past decade and unable to get, the mood in OZ is send them all back and that's the only thing this terrible government has done according to the peoples wishes , Cambodia is not a suitable country to send anybody, however money speaks all languages, the equation of the refugee is a difficult one, the only advantage of Cambodia is that it would be safer, than from where they came from , the RAN just returned a load of Vietnamese back to Vietnam last Friday, so they try from all over the globe, but notice they only want to settle in countries with a welfare system. something Cambodia hasn't.

[dragonfly94]

If the refugees just want to enjoy a social program, they will be upset in Cambodia. But a young, willing, clever, educated, courageous, speaking English person can have a good life in Cambodia.

Excellent opportunity as the local human resource is not that strong. He / she even could find a cute and kind life companion.

Are there issues with hatred / bigotry towards Muslims in Cambodia?

No but there are issues with Islam wordwide, caused by Islam