Search in: National Times . . Sending asylum seekers back home has cost taxpayers $3 million DateAugust 7, 2014 - 8:30AM10 reading now Read later Sarah Whyte Immigration correspondent View more articles from Sarah Whyte Follow Sarah on TwitterFollow Sarah on Google+Email Sarah inShare. submit to reddit Email article Print Reprints & permissions . The figures show 1151 asylum seekers were returned home, including 375 asylum seekers who were being held in the offshore detention centres in Nauru and Papua New Guineas Manus Island. Sailors deny burn boat claims The Abbott government has spent more than $3 million to send asylum seekers back to the country they fled from since coming into power. Documents from the Immigration Department obtained in a Freedom of Information request shows US $2,914,819 ($3,134,517 ) was paid out to asylum seekers who were voluntarily removed or returned to their country of origin since September last year to 16 July. The figures show 1151 asylum seekers were returned home, including 375 asylum seekers who were being held in the offshore detention centres in Nauru and Papua New Guineas Manus Island. Advertisement The document, originally obtained by the Australian Lawyers Alliance this week, states 773 asylum seekers from Iran, 102 from Iraq and 102 from Sri Lanka had taken up the monetary packages. This also includes 87 asylum seekers from Vietnam, 32 from India and 21 from Lebanon. Spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance, Greg Barns said: What you have got here is the use of taxpayers money to affect peoples lives in a very marked way. What is concerning is that these inducements are being given to people who are mentally and physically scarred from a pretty rough voyage to Australia, he said. It seems in effect a fistful of dollars is given to people simply to further the Australian governments political agenda. Last month the Immigration Department admitted it had increased cash incentives to remove any barrier for asylum seekers in offshore detention centres to return home. The rationale for the increase was really to ensure that there was no barrier to people who had voluntarily put their hands up to return to their country and in some cases, that barrier was support for them to get back in the country and support themselves, Immigration deputy secretary Mark Cormack told an inquiry into the Manus Island incident. The return packages for asylum seekers in offshore facilities range from $3300 to $10,000 based on individual circumstances, compared with Labors offering of $1500 to $4000. In June it was revealed Lebanese asylum seekers were being paid $10,000 if they voluntarily return home, while Iranians and Sudanese were offered $7000, Afghans $4000 and Pakistani, Nepalese and Burmese $3300. Im not aware of any other case in which governments provide taxpayers dollars to vulnerable individuals in circumstances where those individuals are not afforded the opportunity to get independent advice, Mr Barns said. A spokesman for the minister said: “Returns assistance is available to people who voluntarily return to a country where they have right of residence or long-term stay. Returns assistance is not provided where a returnee is ineligible or chooses not to receive such support.”
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 06:00:33 +0000
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