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Monday, July 11 , 2011 - 04.20GMT |
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Asylum seekers not welcome – NZ Prime
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The Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key said 85 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who have been detained on their way to New Zealand are “not welcome”.
The asylum seekers were detained by Indonesian police and have been anchored in the waters of Tanjung Pinang since Saturday. They are reportedly refusing to abandon ship.
Passengers on board the ship have been photographed holding signs reading “We like to go to New Zealand”, “Our future life is in New Zealand” and “We need New Zealand”.
The New Zealand Prime Minister said that he was aware of the asylum seekers’ situation, but that New Zealand would not be helping. “I understand that some of those asylum seekers are holding flags or signs that say they might want to come to New Zealand, and our very simple message to them is they are not welcome”.
In 2010, UNHCR said Sri Lankans are no longer in need of international protection under broader refugee criteria or complementary forms of protection solely on the basis of risk of indiscriminate harm.
The UN Refugee Agency releasing a report titled 'Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Asylum-Seekers from Sri Lanka', further said that human rights and security situation in Sri Lanka has improved.
'In light of the improved human rights and security situation in Sri Lanka, there is no longer a need for group-based protection mechanisms or for a presumption of eligibility for Sri Lankans of Tamil ethnicity originating from the north of the country', UNHCR report states.
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