Australia must stop separating migrant families



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The United Nations has declared itself alarmed today by Australia's decision to "actively and indefinitely separate" the family of a recognized refugee in the country by deporting her husband to Sri Lankan. Lanka

. the father leaves his Sri Lankan partner, a recognized refugee, alone with his 11-month-old daughter. "The UNHCR said that before the deportation, he had asked the Australian government to allow the man to stay with his family, but to no avail.

The movement, he warned in a statement, "contravenes the fundamental right of the family unit, as well as the fundamental principle of the best interests of the child ".

The UN has long been critical of Australia's "offshore treatment and deterrence" policy, which since 2013 has allowed asylum seekers arriving in the country to be shipped to remote Nauru camps. and Papua New Guinea

. the policy has led to many separations of refugee families, as those arriving in Australia by sea have been prevented from reaching their relatives in the country.

She also indicated that families were separated when a spouse or parent was transferred. from Nauru to Australia for medical reasons, including for childbirth.

"The Australian government refused to reunite them in Australia, although neither Nauru nor Papua New Guinea are considered as places of detention. With the latest deportation, UNHCR warned that Australia had gone "beyond a refusal to reunite families to put themselves in the place actively and indefinitely." evaluate them. "He pointed out that Australian law prevents the Sri Lankan mother in the case from sponsoring his spouse to join her in Australia and with her child.

Australian law also prevents her husband from even obtaining a short-stay visa to visit his family. he says.

(This story was not edited by Business Standard staff and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)

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