Cash won't persuade Afghans

NO amount of money could convince some Afghans to return home, a lawyer for Woomera detainees has said, while Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock has insisted it is safe.

Prime Minister John Howard has offered to pay Afghan asylum seekers to resettle in their homeland in a deal similar to the arrangement made with Kosovars following Operation Safe Haven.

The offer was announced in New York yesterday after Mr Howard met with Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Kaizir.

But lawyer for Woomera asylum seekers, Rob McDonald, said most Afghans had an understandable fear of persecution if they returned home, despite the defeat of the Taliban regime.

"At the end of the day, they do have a well-founded fear of persecution in our opinion and that would still exist in this day and they actually fear for their lives if they returned home," Mr McDonald told Seven Sunrise.

"So obviously no amount of money is going to compensate them for that."

Only a handful, if any, would take up the offer, Mr McDonald said.

The lawyer said most Afghans were satisfied with the promises made by the Immigration Detention Advisory Group for speedy processing of their visa applications.

Meanwhile, Mr McDonald denied allegations by Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock that lawyers were inciting detainee protests.

"That's absolutely absurd, as professionals it would be against all our ethical rules if we'd done that," he said.

"We're lawyers, we represent people's rights, if somebody says to us we're on hunger strike and we're not stopping and please go and tell the Department of Immigration and the world that message for us, we really have no choice."

Mr Ruddock argued today it was now safe enough to send asylum seekers back to Afghanistan.

How much Afghans will receive has not been announced, but Kosovar Albanians who opted to return home in 1999 received $3,000 per adult and $500 per child.

"If they're found not to be refugees, particularly in the light of the changed circumstances in Afghanistan, then we think that it's appropriate that there be offered an amount which would assist with their resettlement at home," Mr Ruddock told the Nine Network.

He rejected criticism that Afghanistan was still too dangerous to return to, saying the country's new coalition government included most ethnic and regional groups.

"The Taliban, which was the source of fear for most of the people who were seeking to come to Australia, is effectively no more, and it is a matter in which the interim government is saying that it believes its people should return," Mr Ruddock said.

"In fact, they're actively encouraging people to return to play a role in relation to rebuilding the country."

He said Afghans who had been in Australia for decades were going back to assist, with one now a cabinet minister.

Asked the cost to taxpayers of the cash incentive, Mr Ruddock said the outlay had to be balanced against the cost of people staying here.

"Obviously, an arrangement of this sort would probably end up being beneficial rather than adverse," Mr Ruddock said.

The Afghanistan government will send a delegation to Australia this month to discuss asylum seekers.

But Mr Ruddock said he was reluctant to let delegates meet asylum seekers.

"I would be hesitant about exposing people whose claims have not been resolved," he said.

"So it would be in relation to rejected asylum seekers and it would be in relation to establishing their identity because what we know is that among the Afghan case load ... there is suspected to be a lot of identity fraud, people who were in fact Pakistani or had other residency entitlements who were making claims to be Afghans."


	GOVERNMENT NEWS \| home Cash won't persuade Afghans From AAP 01feb02 NO amount of money could convince some Afghans to return home, a lawyer for Woomera detainees has said, while Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock has insisted it is safe. Prime Minister John Howard has offered to pay Afghan asylum seekers to resettle in their homeland in a deal similar to the arrangement made with Kosovars following Operation Safe Haven. The offer was announced in New York yesterday after Mr Howard met with Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Kaizir. But lawyer for Woomera asylum seekers, Rob McDonald, said most Afghans had an understandable fear of persecution if they returned home, despite the defeat of the Taliban regime. "At the end of the day, they do have a well-founded fear of persecution in our opinion and that would still exist in this day and they actually fear for their lives if they returned home," Mr McDonald told Seven Sunrise. "So obviously no amount of money is going to compensate them for that." Only a handful, if any, would take up the offer, Mr McDonald said. "I'd say if any do say yes, it would be a very small percentage." The lawyer said most Afghans were satisfied with the promises made by the Immigration Detention Advisory Group for speedy processing of their visa applications. Meanwhile, Mr McDonald denied allegations by Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock that lawyers were inciting detainee protests. "That's absolutely absurd, as professionals it would be against all our ethical rules if we'd done that," he said. "We're lawyers, we represent people's rights, if somebody says to us we're on hunger strike and we're not stopping and please go and tell the Department of Immigration and the world that message for us, we really have no choice." Mr Ruddock argued today it was now safe enough to send asylum seekers back to Afghanistan. How much Afghans will receive has not been announced, but Kosovar Albanians who opted to return home in 1999 received $3,000 per adult and $500 per child. "If they're found not to be refugees, particularly in the light of the changed circumstances in Afghanistan, then we think that it's appropriate that there be offered an amount which would assist with their resettlement at home," Mr Ruddock told the Nine Network. He rejected criticism that Afghanistan was still too dangerous to return to, saying the country's new coalition government included most ethnic and regional groups. "The Taliban, which was the source of fear for most of the people who were seeking to come to Australia, is effectively no more, and it is a matter in which the interim government is saying that it believes its people should return," Mr Ruddock said. "In fact, they're actively encouraging people to return to play a role in relation to rebuilding the country." He said Afghans who had been in Australia for decades were going back to assist, with one now a cabinet minister. Asked the cost to taxpayers of the cash incentive, Mr Ruddock said the outlay had to be balanced against the cost of people staying here. "Obviously, an arrangement of this sort would probably end up being beneficial rather than adverse," Mr Ruddock said. The Afghanistan government will send a delegation to Australia this month to discuss asylum seekers. But Mr Ruddock said he was reluctant to let delegates meet asylum seekers. "I would be hesitant about exposing people whose claims have not been resolved," he said. "So it would be in relation to rejected asylum seekers and it would be in relation to establishing their identity because what we know is that among the Afghan case load ... there is suspected to be a lot of identity fraud, people who were in fact Pakistani or had other residency entitlements who were making claims to be Afghans." home