UUI, Alm.del - 2014-15 (1. samling) - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 558: Spm. om det er ministerens vurdering, at den australske operation "Operation Suveræne Grænser", hvor asylansøger får beskyttelse og behandlet deres asylansøgningen udenfor Australiens territorium, er i strid med FN's flygtningekonventionen fra 1951, til justitsministeren

Udvalget for Udlændinge- og Integrationspolitik 2014-15 (1. samling)
UUI Alm.del
Offentligt

Udlændingeafdelingen

Folketinget

Udvalget for Udlændinge- og Integrationspolitik

Christiansborg

1240 København K

Dato:

Kontor:

Sagsbeh:

Sagsnr.:

Dok.:

20. maj 2015

Asyl og Visumkontoret

Morten Duus

2015-0032/27-0300

1581522

Hermed sendes endelig besvarelse af spørgsmål nr. 558 (Alm. del), som

Folketingets Udvalg for Udlændinge- og Integrationspolitik har stillet til

justitsministeren den 22. april 2015. Spørgsmålet er stillet efter ønske fra

Karsten Lauritzen (V).

Mette Frederiksen

Rasmus Kieffer-Kristensen

Slotsholmsgade 10

1216 København K.

Telefon 7226 8400

Telefax 3393 3510

www.justitsministeriet.dk

[email protected]

UUI, Alm.del - 2014-15 (1. samling) - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 558: Spm. om det er ministerens vurdering, at den australske operation "Operation Suveræne Grænser", hvor asylansøger får beskyttelse og behandlet deres asylansøgningen udenfor Australiens territorium, er i strid med FN's flygtningekonventionen fra 1951, til justitsministeren

Spørgsmål nr. 558 (Alm. del) fra Folketingets Udvalg for Udlændinge-

og Integrationspolitik:

”Er det ministerens vurdering, at den

australske operation

"Operation Suveræne Grænser", hvor asylansøgere får beskyt-

telse og behandlet deres asylansøgning udenfor Australiens ter-

ritorium, er i strid med FN's flygtningekonvention fra 1951?”

Svar:

Justitsministeriet har til brug for besvarelsen gennem Udenrigsministeriet

indhentet en udtalelse fra de australske myndigheder, som har oplyst føl-

gende:

”Operation

Sovereign Borders

Australia has implemented tough measures to prevent loss of

life at sea and undermine people smuggling syndicates who

exploit vulnerable persons.

Australia’s counter-people

smugg-

ling policy, Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB), was estab-

lished on 18 September 2013. OSB is a military-led, whole-of-

government effort which has successfully stemmed the flow of

illegal maritime arrivals, and protected Australia’s regular mi-

gration pathways. Under OSB, people who travel to Australia

by boat without a visa are either intercepted and safely re-

moved from Australian waters; or transferred to a third country

in our region for processing. Since January 2014 only one ven-

ture has reached Australia, compared with 300 ventures in

2013. There were no recorded instances of death attempting to

reach Australia by illegal maritime means in 2014, compared

to around 1200 people in the previous five years.

We have applied a wide range of complementary measures to

counter maritime people smuggling. We work with partners in

our region and with source countries to deter, disrupt and pro-

secute smugglers; improve border control measures; and in-

form potential illegal immigrants of both Australian policies

and the dangers they expose themselves to by doing business

with people smugglers. We have greatly appreciated the coop-

eration and complementary efforts of many countries.

Australia has entered into memoranda of understanding with

Papua New Guinea and Nauru to establish regional processing

and settlement arrangements. Papua New Guinea and Nauru

are parties to the Refugee Convention. Both countries have

committed to treat refugees with respect, dignity and in ac-

cordance with relevant human rights standards. Papua New

Guinea and Nauru undertake the processing of asylum seekers

in accordance with their domestic legislation and processes.

Persons transferred who are subsequently found by Nauru or

Papua New Guinea to engage protection obligations will be of-

fered settlement in a country other than Australia. Australia al-

so has an arrangement with Cambodia to provide permanent

settlement for refugees currently on Nauru, on a voluntary ba-

sis. We expect the first group of refugees to arrive in Cambo-

dia in the near future. Australia is supporting Papua New

Guinea, Nauru and Cambodia to implement successful settle-

ment programs that provide refugees with the skills and ser-

vices, such as health care, education and accommodation, to

successfully settle. The International Organization for Migra-

tion (IOM) is among those providing the settlement services.

Australia is also working to build local capacity to address

long-term refugee settlement needs, including with assisting

relevant governments in ensuring that local communities re-

main open to receiving refugees.

Appropriate measures are always taken to ensure that OSB op-

erational activities comply with Australia’s international

obli-

gations, including those related to observing Safety of Life at

Sea, and Search and Rescue obligations and protocols. Austra-

lia also takes its obligations under international human rights

law very seriously, particularly in relation to non-refoulement.

Australia ensures that all persons subject to Australian jurisdic-

tion, including children, are treated with respect and dignity,

and that their human rights are protected. Australia is meeting

its international obligations and, with other nations in the re-

gion, is committed to ensuring that people who have attempted

to enter Australia illegally have access to a range of services.

Australia continues to engage with the international communi-

ty on OSB, sharing information to the extent possible, includ-

ing with relevant UN Special Rapporteurs; relevant UN agen-

cies and treaty bodies; the UN Working Group on Arbitrary

Detention, and the UN Human Rights Council. Australia is al-

so an active participant in the Human Rights Council and val-

ues its role in protecting and promoting human rights interna-

tionally. The Government will continue its commitment to act

in accordance with our international human rights obligations.”

Justitsministeriet kan henvise til udtalelsen, hvoraf det fremgår, at de au-

stralske myndigheder har oplyst, at operationen udføres i overensstemmel-

se med Australiens internationale forpligtelser.

Det kan oplyses, at Australien er medlem af FN’s Flygtningekonvention

fra 1951.