Australia asks that Tamil refugees be allowed to settle in Canada
December 18 2009 by Liam Clifford
Australian government under pressure from voters appeals to immigration empathiser Canada for help.
The Australian government has asked Canadian immigration authorities to accept a group of Tamil refugees that they rescued from a boat
drifting in international waters.
In mid-October, a boat full of 78
Tamils was discovered by an Australian customs vessel. The vessel took the
refugees to Indonesia, where they had been living for several years, but they
refused to disembark and asked if they could live in Australia.
The
Tamils have since been designated genuine refugees and Australian authorities
have been trying to find them appropriate homes.
The latest attempt has
involved asking Canadian immigration authorities to let them settle in Canada.
Douglas Kellam from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration said, "I can
confirm that Australia has asked the government of Canada to resettle some of
them.”
The Canadian authorities have reportedly said they may accept
Tamils who have family living in Canada already. Australia apparently is calling
on diplomatic friendship with other nations to try to re-house the refugees. It
is not yet known how many of the 78 Tamils will move to Canada, although the
Australian authorities say it is likely to be under than a quarter of the total.
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