The Australian government on Tuesday announced that anyone who has arrived in Australia by boat illegally before July 19 this year will not be granted permanent protection visa.
“There are no visas for those who came illegally by boat and we will never allow those people to settle here,” said a press release of the Australian High Commission in Dhaka quoting Scott Morrison, the Australian minister for immigration and border protection.
The Australian minister said, “Anyone who arrives by boat illegally will be sent to Papua New Guinea or Nauru,” adding that the government’s message is crystal clear.
Under a regional arrangement with Papua New Guinea in August, Australia will send illegal migrants to Papua New Guinea for assessment and if found to be refugees, they would be settled there.
On August 28, Bangladesh foreign ministry informed that Australia had sent five Bangladeshi nationals to Papua New Guinea on August 23 in this connection.
-With The Daily Star input
