Rejected asylum seekers killed after being sent back to Afghanistan from Nauru and 3 children dead

Edmund Rice Centre research team reports

A delegation from the Edmund Rice Centre in Sydney recently visited Afghanistan and found that as many as 9 men returned from Nauru may have been killed, and 3 children of people sent back from Nauru can be confirmed as having been killed.

The delegation spoke with family members of Mohammed Moussa Nazaree and Yacoub Baklri who confirmed that both men had been killed by local militias after returning from Nauru.

'The families had been told on Nauru by Australian Immigration officials that Afghanistan would be safe. It clearly was not. It clearly is not'. Edmund Rice Centre Director Phil Glendenning said'

'The only children of Abdul, his daughters Yolanda (9 years) and Rona (6 years) were killed when their house was bombed. Newspaper reports verify this. The only child of Mohammed Amin, his son, was killed. As was his mother.

'Abdul, a Block Leader on Nauru, was initially accepted as a refugee on Christmas Island. He had the offer withdrawn after the arrival of the Tampa into Australian waters. His father and uncle had been members of the Russian-backed Najibullah Government. He told Australian officials that if he was sent back he would and his family would be targeted as communist. He was not believed and as he was on Nauru he had no right to a lawyer.'

'His house was bombed and his children were killed after he was returned to Afghanistan', Mr Glendenning said. 'He told officials this would happen and it did. Both his children are now dead'.

"Any public policy that has as its end result the death of innocent people, and especially children, is a policy that no civilised nation can possibly consider. The so-called Pacific solution is no solution at all.

'The Edmund Rice Centre urges all MP's and Senators to reject proposals to reinstitute off-shore processing of asylum seekers. In our experience in 18 countries there is too much evidence that we are getting it wrong. And on this issue if you get it wrong - people get killed.' Mr Glendenning concluded.

The delegation to Afghanistan consisted of Mr Paul Lane from the Lingiari Foundation in Broome, Mr Phil Glendenning, Edmund Rice Centre Director and Mr Martin Reusch, interpreter and former resident of Kabul.

8th August 2006