Take asylum seekers in, lawyer urges

Ardern should ‘stamp her mark by following Helen Clark’s lead over refugees’

An Australian lawyer says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern should follow Helen Clark’s example with the Tampa refugees and take refugees from the Manus Island Centre — even if against Australia’s wishes.

Ardern will meet Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tomorrow in Sydney on her first international outing as PM.

She said the fate of those asylum seekers left on Manus Island would be one of the topics she pursued.

The centre closed at the end of October after the Papua New Guinea courts found it was illegal for Australia to keep asylum seekers there.

Australia is refusing to take any of those in the camp. About 600 are refusing to leave and remain at the centre without food, power or other facilities.

Greg Barns, a lawyer for refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island, said it provided Ardern with a chance to stamp her mark.

Papua New Guinea and New Zealand should bypass Australia and come to an agreement for New Zealand to take the refugees.

Barns pointed to former Prime Minister Helen Clark’s decision to accept about 130 of the refugees from the ship The Tampa — an act Clark has often said was one of the proudest moments of her leadership.

“Helen Clark did the right thing and it would be great if Jacinda Ardern did the same. It’s a chance for New Zealand to show moral leadership, which Australia has lacked now for 20 years.”

Ardern will repeat New Zealand’s standing offer to take 150 from Manus Island and Nauru once they had gone through screening to ensure they were genuine refugees — an offer in place since 2013 but which Australia has repeatedly refused, saying it would provide incentives for people smugglers.

She acknowledged New Zealand did not have to deal with issues such as people smugglers and boat people as Australia did. “But it is hard to ignore the human face of this situation and nor should it be ignored.”

Ardern said she had not yet considered whether she would pursue it without Australia’s say so and would wait to see how Turnbull responded.

“They have chosen a particular strategy to manage the issue of boat people and the significant threat that attempting to get to Australia poses on those people’s lives. All I can do is address it from New Zealand’s perspective and New Zealand’s international obligations.”

Australia had agreed to New Zealand taking the Tampa refugees — but Barns said if Australia did not agree to Manus Island, New Zealand and PNG should be able to enter an arrangement without Australia’s interference.

“They should not feel the need to talk to the bully boy in the region. New Zealand has a much better track record on human rights internationally than Australia and it’s an

It’s a chance for NZ to show moral leadership, which Australia has lacked now for 20 years. Greg Barns

opportunity for this new Prime Minister to stamp her mark on the global stage as a country which takes human rights seriously.”

When former Prime Minister John Key last made the offer last February to take 150 refugees, Turnbull knocked it back saying it would be seen as a “marketing opportunity” for people smugglers.

There were also concerns the refugees would use New Zealand as a back door to Australia because of the freedom of movement between the two countries.

National Party Foreign Affairs Spokesman Gerry Brownlee said there would be risks in going ahead against Australia’s wishes.

“There were occasions where there were boats allegedly on the way to New Zealand and for us to do anything about that, we would require a fair bit of co-operation with the Australians.