webfact Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Scores of detained asylum seekers take Australian cash and return home By Colin Packham and Aaron Bunch REUTERS Authorities inside the Manus Island refugee camp in Papua New Guinea walk around the camp serving deportation notices to detainees, February 9, 2017. Behrouz Boochani/Handout via REUTERS/Files SYDNEY (Reuters) - Dozens of asylum seekers held in a detention centre in Papua New Guinea have elected to accept cash from Australia to return to their home countries, officials and refugees said, the largest exodus from the South Pacific camp in four years. Australia has ratcheted up efforts to clear the Manus Island detention centre of people who have twice had their refugee claims rejected, amid fears a deal for the United States to take refugees has fallen through. Reuters reported late last month that asylum seekers were being repeatedly called to meet with Australian officials and pressured to take amounts of up to $25,000 to return to their home countries or face deportation. As legal attempts to halt the threat of deportation stall, as many 29 men, all of whom have spent four years in detention, have elected to leave in the last few weeks, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters. A group of nine Nepalese men will depart PNG on Friday, one source said. One source told Reuters approximately 14 detainees have asked the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to facilitate their transfer home. Refugees on Manus Island said a further 15 have not used the IOM to return home. "There is a growing thought that it is better to move on and get on with our lives rather than hang onto some false hope," an official Australian source told Reuters, who declined to be named. "We haven't seen as many people leave since the first year of the camp being reopened in late 2012." Offering money to failed asylum seekers to return home is not illegal, however, the sums being offered have more than doubled since a year ago and are far above the funds being offered elsewhere. Germany has announced plans to offer up to 1,200 euros ($1,263) to asylum seekers to return home. After four years in detention in conditions widely criticised by organisations such as the United Nations many of the detainees are suffering mental health issues. The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court last year ruled the Manus Island centre breached human rights, was illegal and must close. Voluntary returns of failed refugees will ease criticism of Australia and its policy of indefinite detention for anyone who attempts to make it to Australia by boat. But finding a solution for the refugees on Manus Island, the bulk of the more than 800 men held in PNG, will prove more difficult. The United States has agreed to resettle up 1,250 men, woman and children on Manus Island and Nauru, though security interviews have stalled, hinting Washington may leaning towards revoking on the deal. ($1 = 0.9499 euros) (Reporting by Colin Packham and Aaron Bunch in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry) -- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trogers Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 ??? who became the suckers? My vote goes to the educated and developed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustapha Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 If they have failed the refugee test, & deemed to be illegal , Just deport them, why keep them in detention, Just deport them, Why give them $25,000 as a sweetener to leave, Just deport them, The Government is setting a dangerous precedent, by taking this action. Once the word gets out that the Government is prepared to pay $25,000 to each & every illegal , there will be thousands, seeking this cash handout, $25,000 is a fortune in some of the countries these illegals come from. I do not have a problem with immigration, as long as they are genuine refugees or genuine migrants coming thru the front door not the back door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canceraid Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 ??? You give them 25,000 Australian dollars.....for these illegal immigrants to leave...why not just do what Singapore does....10 slashes of the cane and the deport them so that they will not come again and serves as a deterrent for others not to come....now more will come to Australia to receive the 25,000 handouts. How stupid really. Australian citizens should wake up and protests and do something about their government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55Jay Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 The cash offer has been increased. If it were me and my country was bad enough to leave in the first place, I would suck up the free room and board, and hold out another 6 months for more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pdaz Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 One way ticket to some godforsaken part of Africa is all they should get.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangkok101 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 trump should be the boss of australia, save the country massive amounts of tax payer dollars leaking to these refugees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace of Pop Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Bloody Liberal Arty Farty let em in ,let em pay to get em out ,not the ones who never wanted em in.?Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 The amount should be sufficient for them to have a brief holiday before making their way to Europe, where the welcome wagon awaits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simple1 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 11 hours ago, Rustapha said: If they have failed the refugee test, & deemed to be illegal , Just deport them, why keep them in detention, Just deport them, Why give them $25,000 as a sweetener to leave, Just deport them, The Government is setting a dangerous precedent, by taking this action. Once the word gets out that the Government is prepared to pay $25,000 to each & every illegal , there will be thousands, seeking this cash handout, $25,000 is a fortune in some of the countries these illegals come from. I do not have a problem with immigration, as long as they are genuine refugees or genuine migrants coming thru the front door not the back door. Think you will find the majority who have been rejected as genuine refugees and being offered cash to return to their home countries on their own free will are Iranian, as Iran has rejected receiving deported asylum seekers. I would assume the same scenario is applicable for some other nationals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maoro2013 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 They cannot be true asylum seekers if a bit of cash can get them to return back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 They were true asylum seekers. They just didn't turn out to be genuine refugees. Seeking asylum and being a refugee are not the same thing, although there is a close relationship. A country can grant asylum to someone who is not a refugee. For example, it could be said that Snowden is not a refugee, but he was given asylum in Russia. Also, some people are genuine refugees, but fail to find a country that will resettle them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven100 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Absolute joke this ...... country shoppers being given up to $25,000 AUD !! Australia ..... you are a joke !!! you have lost the plot. As mentioned earlier ... just do as Singapore would do , 10 lashes and deported .... Australia .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace of Pop Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Shall we stand against oppression and fight for our rights in our Own Nation .No let's go n find a soft touch like Australia.Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AhFarangJa Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Unbelievable, why are they still there after failing to gain asylum twice !! Now I expect some left wing loony in UK will think...'oh, what a good idea, let us do the same for these poor scroungers, sorry, refugees....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AhFarangJa Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 6 minutes ago, Ace of Pop said: Shall we stand against oppression and fight for our rights in our Own Nation .No let's go n find a soft touch like Australia. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Exactly Ace, Just look at all the Syrian refugees......Mostly male, 18 - 30 ish, avoiding conscription, or if not on the governments side failing to stand up for themselves, and leaving other countries to fight their battles.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvs Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 13 hours ago, Canceraid said: ??? You give them 25,000 Australian dollars.....for these illegal immigrants to leave...why not just do what Singapore does....10 slashes of the cane and the deport them so that they will not come again and serves as a deterrent for others not to come....now more will come to Australia to receive the 25,000 handouts. How stupid really. Australian citizens should wake up and protests and do something about their government. You are sooo wrong,should Thailand also start caning people for overstay?Maybe you will say that has nothing to do with it but it is just a small step up the ladder. Yes of course some people take advantage of the system but i bet there are more Australian people doing that also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simple1 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 4 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said: Exactly Ace, Just look at all the Syrian refugees......Mostly male, 18 - 30 ish, avoiding conscription, or if not on the governments side failing to stand up for themselves, and leaving other countries to fight their battles.... The Australian Syrian asylum seeker intake is primarily focused on family groups and many are Syrian Christians. Why would anyone wish to be a conscript for the Assad dictatorship when many are treated as cannon fodder, poorly trained and paid etc, plus of course the deliberate targeting of civilians for killing by the regime. As I understand a number of Syrians have joined up with the likes of the Syrian Free Army, but some within those organisations are also involved with war crimes, infighting... All told not too many good options for fighting age men in Syria, who in any case are mainly fighting in tribal formations in a proxy war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace of Pop Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Has there ever been any good options for war .I sat their terrified Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FitnessHealthTravel Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Either way, the Taxpayer PAYS!!! However better out than in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge2bridge Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 15 hours ago, Canceraid said: ??? You give them 25,000 Australian dollars.....for these illegal immigrants to leave...why not just do what Singapore does....10 slashes of the cane and the deport them so that they will not come again and serves as a deterrent for others not to come....now more will come to Australia to receive the 25,000 handouts. How stupid really. Australian citizens should wake up and protests and do something about their government. They can not do it because the GREENIES and LABOR would be up in arms. We need someone with the guts to tell them both to get stuffed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge2bridge Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 13 hours ago, Ace of Pop said: Bloody Liberal Arty Farty let em in ,let em pay to get em out ,not the ones who never wanted em in.? Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect NO Labor let them in. When Rudd and Gillard were in government. HOWARD stopped them, so did ABBOTT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Croc Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 15 hours ago, Rustapha said: If they have failed the refugee test, & deemed to be illegal , Just deport them, why keep them in detention, Just deport them, Why give them $25,000 as a sweetener to leave, Just deport them, The Government is setting a dangerous precedent, by taking this action. Once the word gets out that the Government is prepared to pay $25,000 to each & every illegal , there will be thousands, seeking this cash handout, $25,000 is a fortune in some of the countries these illegals come from. I do not have a problem with immigration, as long as they are genuine refugees or genuine migrants coming thru the front door not the back door. Not that simple. One of the characteristics of Australia's boat arrival, asylum seekers is that all passports and ID docs are thrown overboard when the vessel leaves port. This allows the people to adopt new identities, age and even nationality to attempt to enter the land of milk and honey. It's thought that a large proportion of Melbourne's Afghan refugees are actually Pakistani. When the individual doesn't cooperate it becomes almost impossible to obtain a document to return them to a country that refuses to assist. With air arrivals identity is easy to ascertain and the airline has to return them to port of embarkation under the ICAO convention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace of Pop Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Arty Farty then, foregot get nowhere . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexterm Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) Don't forget that Australia was originally founded by "boat people" who dispossessed the indigenous population. There seems to be a tendency for the descendants of refugees, asylum seekers, and economic migrants (and in Australia's case a minority of convicts forced there) to say "I'm all right Jack" but we don't want to share our prosperity with others...throw into the pot a spot of racism too. Same applies to many European colonized countries in the world. I don't know the rights and wrongs of the individual asylum seekers in the OP, but if they have failed the criteria for acceptance twice, the money offered is a saving for Australian taxpayers compared with the costs of continued detention. Edited March 3, 2017 by dexterm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgordo38 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 21 hours ago, webfact said: Reuters reported late last month that asylum seekers were being repeatedly called to meet with Australian officials and pressured to take amounts of up to $25,000 to return to their home countries or face deportation. $25,000 astounding all taxpayers money. How do these idiots get these jobs.?????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simple1 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) 27 minutes ago, elgordo38 said: $25,000 astounding all taxpayers money. How do these idiots get these jobs.?????????? It is alleged each offshore detainee costs the Oz tax payer $400k p.a., the highest detention costs in the world. As mentioned above it would be a lot more cost effective for an offshore detainee to accept the package, rather than keeping them in detention whilst going though efforts to resettle them in a third party country or waiting whilst the government tries to negotiate to return nationals with their home country government e.g. Iran. The issue of returning offshore detainees to their home country has been raised and responded to repeatedly in a number of topics concerning offshore detention in Australia. it is also a fact that asylum seekers arriving by air then claiming refugee status, plus illegals who overstay their visa far exceeds the total number of 'boat people' over time. Edited March 3, 2017 by simple1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Itsnottheplaceitwas Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 20 hours ago, bangkok101 said: trump should be the boss of australia, save the country massive amounts of tax payer dollars leaking to these refugees. Hey wait in line unless your Asian & that went over your head as UK want his services first ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgordo38 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 8 hours ago, simple1 said: It is alleged each offshore detainee costs the Oz tax payer $400k p.a., the highest detention costs in the world. As mentioned above it would be a lot more cost effective for an offshore detainee to accept the package, rather than keeping them in detention whilst going though efforts to resettle them in a third party country or waiting whilst the government tries to negotiate to return nationals with their home country government e.g. Iran. The issue of returning offshore detainees to their home country has been raised and responded to repeatedly in a number of topics concerning offshore detention in Australia. it is also a fact that asylum seekers arriving by air then claiming refugee status, plus illegals who overstay their visa far exceeds the total number of 'boat people' over time. Australia the land of prosperity and the price paid for same. I wonder if I could get a piece of this action? ffforget it. Your to old and look to well fed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Off-topic post removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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