Five Bangladeshi asylum seekers in Australia have been transferred to Papua New Guinea (PNG) from Australia as per Australia’s new regional settlement arrangement with the PNG, said an official at the Foreign Ministry here on Wednesday.
“We’re yet to know the identity of the Bangladeshi nationals. Our mission there is working on it… we’re expecting a detailed shortly,” Director General (EP) of the Foreign Ministry M Shameem Ahsan told reporters.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh High Commission in Canberra has been instructed by the Foreign Ministry to get in touch with the relevant authorities and take appropriate action, he added. Shameem Ahsan also said some 35 other nationals were also transferred to Papua New Guinea on August 23 as per the new arrangement.
Under the new agreement, signed with Papua New Guinea (PNG) on July 19, 2013 – the Regional Settlement Arrangement – unauthorised maritime arrivals will be sent to Papua New Guinea for assessment and if found to be refugees will be settled there.
On July 29, Australian High Commissioner in Dhaka Greg Wilcock said the Australian government is working with Bangladesh to verify the identities of the ‘claimed Bangladeshi nationals’ entered the country in a boat without any visa.
From July 19, no matter from where an asylum seeker arrives in Australia by boat, they are subject to be transferred to Papua New Guinea and if they are found to be genuine refugees to be permanently settled in PNG. The envoy, however, did not want to tell the number of ‘claimed Bangladeshis’ before verification.
He also said the asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat without visas will never be settled in Australia. “This is a general message. This message is for all of those would consider travelling to Australia without any visa and purchasing a dangerous boat journey to Australia from a people smuggler,” the Australian envoy said.
The people found not to be refugees may be returned to their home country or a country where they had a right of residence, or held in a transit facility. – UNB
