Govt inconsistent on Afghans: Humphries

By LAUREN HARRISS
THE Rudd government’s new immigration policy has faced fresh criticism, with Liberal Senator Gary Humphries labelling it “inconsistent”.

Senator Humphries is not convinced there is enough evidence to support a freeze on immigration claims from Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers, saying the government’s declaration that security had risen in Afghanistan is contradicted by Australia’s continued military involvement in the war torn nation.

“It seems to me that if fighting is going on to the extent that civilians and soldiers, including Australian soldiers, continue to die, then it hardly a stable enough situation in which to talk about a blanket decision to stop Afghans from having the right to seek asylum in Australia,” he said.

The Australian government said its new policy was developed after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said that it was reviewing security conditions in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. However, as of yet Australia remains the only country to declare Afghanistan “stable”.

Senator Humphries is concerned that the government is only trying to justify its “failed” immigration policies and that premature statements may send the wrong message to other nations with forces committed in Afghanistan.

“What we are seeing is Australia trying to make some kind of unilateral position which does not conform with the consensus in other parts of the world…,” he said. “I think our allies would be confused and perturbed by Australia’s declaration that apparently the war in Afghanistan is won”.

In a recent interview to the ABC, President Obama praised Australia for its support in the Middle East. However, while noting that he did not believe the Afghanistan conflict would go on indefinitely, he would not say the situation had improved to the point of stability, suggesting only that the occupation of Afghanistan should begin to be scaled back towards the end of 2011.

James Tira, a political officer at the United States Embassy in Canberra, denied that the deployment of extra US troops, 30,000 in December last year, and the commitment of 1550 more to replace departing Dutch security forces later this year, was evidence of the area’s instability.

Tira stressed that while the situation had improved the area could not be declared entirely stable, saying, “It is getting more stable but… it is a difficult task and we don’t want to underestimate the difficulties that we face in Afghanistan.”

The Australian government says that a review of security conditions in Afghanistan will occur in six months time, after which the immigration policy will be amended accordingly.