FED:UNICEF worried about deportation of kids

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2011
FED:UNICEF worried about deportation of kids

CANBERRA, Aug 5 AAP - The United Nations' children's agency says it is extremely concerned
that unaccompanied minors may be deported from Christmas Island under Labor's asylum-seeker
swap deal with Malaysia.

The first boatload of people to be sent back overseas arrived on Christmas Island on Thursday.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says there are 36 adults and "19 people who are either
clearly minors or who are claiming to be minors".

Fourteen of the children are unaccompanied. UNICEF Australia is calling on Mr Bowen
not to send them to Malaysia for processing.

"We would really be extremely concerned if any unaccompanied minor would indeed be
deported in such a way," chief executive Norman Gillespie told ABC Radio.

"We note that it will be a case-by-case basis and we absolutely depend upon the minister
to make the right decision in these instances."

Mr Gillespie said it had taken the UN's refugee agency the UNHCR two months to even
note the deal between Canberra and Kuala Lumper.

"Clearly they are concerned and not a signatory," he said.

"It's a trauma to come to Australia in this manner and it's an even greater trauma
to then be deported.

"The welfare of the children is of extreme concern to us."

The federal opposition says the Gillard government has created a "catch-22" for itself.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison believes it will only take one exception
for someone not to be sent to Malaysia for people smugglers to market it as a rule "creating
more pull factors".

"At the same time, any children sent to Malaysia will be highly vulnerable, and the
governments know it," he said on Thursday.

AAP jcd/jfm

KEYWORD: BOAT

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