Anti-People Smuggling and Other Measures Bill 2010
Amnesty International understands that population flows across the Asia Pacific region must be addressed through international cooperation and encourages the Australian Government to work with its neighbours on this issue. Furthermore, Amnesty International acknowledges that people smuggling is a crime and accepts that governments must take measures to reduce incidents of unauthorised immigration.
However, Amnesty International maintains that human rights concerns must be acknowledged and prioritised in any regional cooperation. Currently the protection measures provided to asylum seekers outside of Australia are negligible and asylum seekers often have no other choice than to entrust their lives to people smugglers when seeking a durable solution.
To effectively reduce incidents of people smuggling, in a manner both durable and humane, Australia must address the reasons that force asylum seekers onto boats.
Download our full submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee (pdf 177kb), made on 15 April 2010.
A policeman's job is to protect all citizens, even those he or she doesn't like. I'd have thought that a pretty basic concept.
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21 May 2012, 03:59PM