Pacific Solution Over As Refugees Farewell Nauru

The Age

Wednesday February 6, 2008

Andra Jackson

TWENTY-ONE Sri Lankan refugees will be on their way to Australia today, leaving the controversial Nauru detention camps finally empty.

The group, the last of 82 Sri Lankan asylum seekers taken to Nauru 10 months ago, learnt yesterday that the Australian Government had granted them permanent protection visas.

An Immigration Department spokesman said they will fly out of Nauru today to Brisbane.

Their departure clears the way for the Government to implement its January 11 pledge to close the Nauru camp and end the Howard government's so-called Pacific Solution for asylum seekers.

Another asylum seeker, in Perth for medical treatment, was also granted a permanent visa, said Wicki Wickiramasingham, chairman of Justice and Freedom for Ceylon Tamils. The Sri Lankans, aged 18 to 28 and most of them students, were seeking asylum in Australia last March when their Indonesian-crewed fishing boat was intercepted.

Last September the first group of 75 had their refugee status recognised. Granted permanent visas, they were brought to Australia in four separate arrivals since January 15. One of today's arrivals will come to Melbourne and the others will go to Perth, Adelaide and Sydney.

At its peak, more than 1000 asylum seekers were held in Nauru's two camps.

© 2008 The Age

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