Asylum seekers: Peter Dutton slams refugee lobby for peddling ‘false hope’

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton unleashes on refugee advocates peddling ‘false hope’ to asylum-seekers.

Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton at his press conference this morning. Picture: Kym Smith

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has unleashed on refugee advocates peddling “false hope” to asylum-seekers, after a second young person was evacuated from Nauru after setting herself alight.

The 21-year-old Somali woman was today being treated in Brisbane for “critical injuries” after she self-immolated on the Pacific island yesterday. The incident came four days after the death of a 23-year-old Iranian man, Omid, who had also set himself alight.

Mr Dutton, addressing reporters about the spate of “extreme actions” by asylum-seekers on Nauru, said the campaign of protests on the island “must end”.

“Advocates should reflect on their messages of false hope and misleading portrayal of the situation in Nauru. While some may be encouraged by messages of false hope and some may resort to extreme action, this Government will not be dissuaded from its stated border protection policies,” he said in Canberra. “We are not going to allow people to drown at sea again.”

Mr Dutton said refugee activists had “unfairly portrayed” the government of Nauru, which has begun laying criminal charges against detainees who attempt suicide.

“Far from living in the hell hole advocates would have you believe — refugees on Nauru are free from a fear of persecution and many are building new lives,” he said.

At the final Labor caucus meeting before the July 2 election, Labor leader Bill Shorten pledged to find new resettlement countries for about 1300 asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru and Manus Island.

Mr Shorten told colleagues that Labor in government would make clear through its actions that “we do not support indefinite detention”.

“The people concerned will be resettled in third countries,” he told caucus.

Labor initiated offshore processing in 2013 and has a policy to turn back asylum-seeker boats if elected to government.

One Labor MP said Australia’s approach should always protect the interests of the most vulnerable people.

“We have to have policies that avoid the drownings at sea and we also have to treat people decently within our care,” Mr Shorten responded.

Retiring MP Melissa Parke, who has long dissented from Labor’s refugee policies, said great harm was being done to people on Manus and Nauru.

However, she also said the Labor platform contained good policies and values which the party should continue to promote.

Mr Dutton defended the 24-hour delay in evacuating the Iranian refugee last week, saying no flight crews were immediately available as there were mandated rest times for aviators.

In stark contrast with Mr Dutton, several Labor MPs have today publicly signed pre-election pledges to “call out any politician who tries to use dog whistle tactics” and “work to improve public debate and discourse on issues such as race, immigration, refugees and asylum-seekers”.

The pledge forms have been distributed by the Edmund Rice Centre, a human rights advocacy group, were signed by ALP frontbenchers including Anthony Albanese, Michelle Rowland and Lisa Singh.

Those in need of crisis or suicide prevention support should call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp.