UN to play no part in Nauru, Manus Island centres
The United Nations refugee agency has told the Federal Government it will not play any part in processing asylum seekers sent to Nauru or Manus Island.
Australian soldiers are about to start work in Nauru, and the Government says it expects to be able to house 500 asylum seekers by the end of September.
The PNG government, meanwhile, has formally given the go-ahead for the processing centre on Manus Island, with funding to be drawn from a new development assistance package.
UNHCR regional representative Richard Towle has told The World Today his agency will monitor the policy from afar but will not help the Australian Government with its plan.
"We would have an arms-length monitoring and supervisory role under the refugee convention, but no, we don't envisage any operational or active role in the management of the arrangements themselves," he said.
"We believe primarily that this is a matter for Australia's responsibilities under the refugee convention, working with two other countries that are also convention states.
"We do not see that UNHCR has a role to play in those arrangements.
"Australia may choose to transfer physically people to other jurisdictions, but we believe that under international law very clearly Australia is not absolved of its legal responsibilities to protect people through all aspects of the processing and solutions."
Mr Towle says concerns remain surrounding the indefinite detention and mental health of asylum seekers.
"It's difficult to maintain an adequate level of health and care for people who may already be suffering from trauma as a result of their persecution and leaving their countries of origin and the voyages towards Australia," he said.
"So we are dealing with very vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, unaccompanied minors.
AUDIO: Richard Towle talks to TWT (The World Today)
"And to try and manage all of their needs in a protection appropriate way in remote places, particularly in the Pacific, has proven to be challenging in the past and we have no doubt that it will be very challenging again in the future."
While critical of the offshore processing plan, Mr Towle, who met the Government earlier this week, has welcomed yesterday's announcement of $10 million for regional capacity projects with a special emphasis on the UNHCR.
"[That money] allocated wisely in the right way and the right place can make quite a lot of difference to the quality of people's lives in South East Asia," he said.
"Now, our assumption is that if people feel better and safer where they are then they don't need to put their hands in the lives of these unscrupulous people smuggling voyages towards Australia.
"Our objective as an organisation is not in itself to stop boats, our objective primarily is to ensure that people who need protection get it.
"If they can't get it in Australia, for whatever reason, through a throttling of the process and the throttling of the policy options here then we've got to make very sure that they can get better and more effective protection in other places."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-24/unhcr-wont-play-part-in-offshore-processin...
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