The Government is shortly expected to make a decision on whether to take in Afghan refugees who have been refused entry to Australia. The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, indicated yesterday that she supported such an offer, following a request from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
"We have been approached to assist some Afghan refugees who have found themselves unwanted in the South Seas. As we know, Australia has refused to take them, and we are considering the humanitarian request to accept some of the refugees. That is being considered by the Government at the moment, but I would be fully supportive of it", Ms O'Donnell said.
A Government spokesman said that the Cabinet would be considering the request soon.
Ms O'Donnell was speaking at the publication of the Refugee Agency's annual report. This will be the last such report, because a new agency, the Reception and Integration Agency, has been formed, incorporating the existing body.
Ms O'Donnell said refugees could not be viewed as a purely domestic issue. "The international context is essential. The phenomenon of global refugee movement poses a major challenge of the 21st century. The question or the answer should not be 'how to keep them out'. We must recognise the importance of durable solutions to the refugee phenomenon as an investment in peace and security."
Regressive approaches to the issue, she said, could only increase social tensions in host countries and did nothing to help treat the root causes of massive refugee flows, such as conflict and oppression in poor countries.
"Ireland is now a major contributor to UNHCR, £3.8 million in 2001, and being a non-aligned member of the international community can play a key role in assisting humanitarian endeavours, peacekeeping, refugee support and development assistance", Ms O'Donnell said.