Britain rejects Afghan boys' asylum request

Britain has rejected an asylum bid by two teenage Afghan brothers who escaped last month from a remote Australian detention camp…

Britain has rejected an asylum bid by two teenage Afghan brothers who escaped last month from a remote Australian detention camp and walked into a British consulate today, their lawyer said.

The British response was "inhumane and barbaric" lawyer Mr Eric Vadarlis said as the boys, aged 12 and 13, were taken away to a detention centre in Melbourne. Australia has also refused to give them asylum.

The boys, who Australian authorities believe are Pakistani, had escaped in June along with 35 other asylum seekers from the Woomera detention centre, located in South Australia state and one of six camps in Australia used to house illegal immigrants while their claims for asylum are processed.

The boys were crying as they were taken from the British-Consulate General on the 17th floor of a Melbourne office tower at the end of an eight-hour standoff during which Australian officials were positioned outside.

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"They've been taken away by federal police. Their claim for asylum has been rejected," Mr Vadarlis told reporters.

"That in my view is inhumane and barbaric," he said.

"They tried to explain they didn't want to go back to jail. They consider Woomera to be a jail and that there's no future for them."

The lawyer said the elder brother had twice attempted suicide since the boys began their detention at Woomera in January 2001. Their mother and two sisters are also detained at Woomera.

British consular officials could not be reached for comment but they said earlier today two non-Australians had entered the mission seeking permission to go to Britain.