Australia-Malaysia transfer arrangement :

Illegal entrants to Aust. face transfer to Malaysia

Chaminda PERERA

The Sri Lanka Navy yesterday reiterated its advice to Sri Lankans not to fall prey to human smugglers trying to traffic people into Australia by sea as new regulations are in force to take the number of illegal asylum seekers to zero level.

According to Navy Spokesman, Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya, any attempt by human smugglers to smuggle people into Australia will make them end up in Malaysia under the Cooperative Transfer Arrangement signed by the governments of Australia and Malaysia.

He said any person who arrives in Australia illegally by sea will be transferred to Malaysia for the determination of their refugee status.

Commander Warnakulasuriya added that these illegal persons would be sent to the back of the asylum seeking queue and will not be given any resettlement priority. The Australian government recently announced this new arrangement as part of a Regional Cooperation Framework that will help put the people smugglers out of business and prevent asylum seekers making perilous journeys to Australia by boats.

The Australian High Commission in release said that the Government of Australia worked closely with the neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka to deliver an agreement for a Regional Cooperation Framework through the recent Bali Process Ministerial Conference attended by Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem. The High Commission said Australia is also engaged in ongoing talks with Papua New Guinea about the establishment of a refugee assessment centre as part of this framework.