Australia to crack down on policy against refugees
Refugees on a boat (Source: http://www.defenseimagery.mil/index.jsp)
Australia announced that it will be tightening its policy against refugees by prohibiting those who try to enter the country from its shores from ever entering the country again.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, the legislation would also ban asylum seekers who have returned to their homelands in the Middle East, Asia and Africa from entering the country again.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said, “This is a battle of will between the Australian people, represented by their government, and these criminal gangs of people-smugglers. You should not underestimate the scale of the threat.”
This follows a previous legislation passed in July 19 2013 that prevented refugees coming by boats from Indonesian ports from resettling in Australia. The country has paid Nauru and Papua New Guinea to keep the asylum seekers since the legislation came into effect.
The move has been criticized by several human rights activists, with one condemning the new laws as they introduce lifelong sentences and set a dangerous precedent according to the report.
Thailand has also received complaints from human rights groups for its laws regarding asylum seekers and refugees. According to a report by Fortify Rights Organization, although Thailand is host to thousands of refugees, they are in violation of Thai immigration law and subject to detention and deportation, exposing them to another cycle of abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
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