Iranian aylum-seekers caught between worlds

A DRAMATIC increase in the number of asylum-seekers from Iran has sparked concerns that thousands will be refused asylum but will still be caught indefinitely in Australia.

In the three months to September 30, 754 Iranians had their initial applications for asylum rejected, out of a total of 1366.

The number of Iranians coming to Australia has steadily increased over the past three years, with 1549 arriving in 2010-11.

Immigration Department figures show most Iranians were found not to be refugees on first assessment. They had prolonged stays in detention as they appealed their decisions and they could not be involuntarily returned to Iran, which will not accept them.

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the government was considering a "range of case resolution options" for failed refugees and acknowledged the issue was a "considerable challenge".

"The involuntary return of failed asylum-seekers can only occur with the agreement of the host country. And this can only commence after an exhaustive process of assessment and appeal, which can take years," he said.

"Despite numerous attempts by Australia, the Iranian government has made it clear that it will not accept the involuntary return of failed asylum-seekers."

Refugee Council of Australia president John Gibson said the situation was an "important policy challenge", while former Howard government immigration minister Philip Ruddock accused Labor of failing to negotiate adequate return arrangements for unsuccessful refugees.

Mr Gibson told The Australian yesterday the government should look at negotiating a new resettlement deal with Iran among a range of other options, saying many Iranians had been in detention for more than two years.

"People have to be returned in certain circumstances to their country of origin. If they can't be, the options are indefinite detention, which I don't think the Australian people support," Mr Gibson said.

He cited third-country resettlement and temporarily moving failed refugees into the community as other possibilities. But he said if a viable long-term solution did not arise, the government could grant unsuccessful Iranian refugees permanent status.

Acting opposition immigration spokesman Michael Keenan also admitted a Coalition government would have to look at "a whole range of options".

Nearly 50 per cent of boat arrivals are now from Iran. Many are middle-class professionals who speak fluent English.

Only 28 per cent of the 968 Iranian initial claims assessed during 2010-11 were successful. More recent figures from the September 2011-12 quarter show that just over 25 per cent of Iranian asylum-seekers were unable to have the department's initial negative determinations overturned.

In 2003, a controversial deal was negotiated by Mr Ruddock to forcibly return failed Iranian refugees. In exchange, Australia offered young Iranians working holiday visas.

"My view is that the Labor Party has failed in getting many removals," Mr Ruddock said yesterday.

However, the Department of Immigration said only 14 involuntarily removals had taken place under the Howard scheme.

Source: The Australian