New Zealand refuses to resettle Oceanic Viking refugees

PHOTO

Young Sri Lankan asylum seekers look out from the Oceanic Viking anchored off Indonesia's Riau Island of Tanjung Pinang on October 27, 2009. [AFP]

Kerri Ritchie, New Zealand correspondent

Last Updated: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:41:00 +1100

New Zealand has refused a request by Australia to help resettle some of the 78 asylum seekers refusing to leave an Australian customs boat, moored off Indonesia.

New Zealand's Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has told his Australian counterpart Chris Evans, that New Zealand can't help.

Dr Coleman says he doesn't believe an ad hoc approach to dealing with individual cases like the Oceanic Viking sends the right message.

He believes the best way to stop people smuggling is through the Bali Process - a multilateral agreement which focuses on prevention.

Australia and New Zealand are both signatories.

Dr Coleman believes with thousands of displaced people across the Asia Pacific region, these issues won't go away.

But he says New Zealand is wary of rewarding people who try to jump the queue.

However, New Zealand Green Party MP, Keith Locke says the conservative government should be more compassionate.

"New Zealand's a lucky county in a sense in that boat people never make our shores, so surely we should share some of the burden to settle people who are in quite desperate circumstances."

Under its previous Labour government, New Zealand took 131 asylum seekers off the Tampa.

Meanwhile, the Australian Government says its priority is to disembark the 78 asylum seekers in Indonesia.

There are reports the Government is exploring plans for them to be taken to the Philippines or Christmas Island for processing.

But a spokesman for the Home Affairs Minister says he isn't aware of the Government actively working on contingency plans to process the Sri Lankans in another country.