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Article: RIGHTS: AUSTRALIA OFFLOADS ASYLUM SEEKERS TO PACIFIC NEIGHBORS
- Article from:
- Inter Press Service English News Wire
- Article date:
- September 4, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightProvided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Bob Burton
Inter Press Service English News Wire
09-04-2001
CANBERRA, Sep. 3 (IPS) -- Breaking an impasse over the fate of
438 refugees held on board a Norwegian cargo ship since last
week, the Australian government now plans to send the group to
New Zealand and the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru.
But while Canberra has managed to push the asylum seekers over
to its neighbors -- which are smaller and poorer -- the debate
over its handling of the issue is far from over.
For the last week, Australian military personnel have
prevented the captain of the Norwegian ship -- which rescued the
asylum seekers Aug. 26 from a sinking boat at the request of
Australian search and rescue authorities -- from ...