UNHCR Urges Solution of Impasse Over Cargo Ship Asylum SeekersThe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) met on Friday morning with representatives of Australia, Indonesia and Norway, to find a solution to the impasse over more than 450 people stranded on a ship off Christmas Island of Australia.The UNHCR put forth a three-point plan, urging temporary disembarkation of the asylum seekers for humanitarian reasons onto Christmas Island, immediately screening of asylum applicants, and transfer of them to third countries. The 450 asylum seekers, reportedly from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, have been kept on the ship off Christmas Island for five days. Assistant High Commissioner Soren Jessen Petersen, who coordinated development of the plan, said the most immediate humanitarian need was to get the people off the Norwegian vessel Tampa, which has no facilities for a large number of passengers. UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond said at a briefing on Friday that the plan was the result of several informal meetings with various parties over the past few days, aimed at breaking the deadlock and rapidly ending the increasingly desperate situation of the hundreds of men, women and children aboard the Tampa. Redmond said that the UNHCR had made a formal request to some countries, including New Zealand and Norway which have indicated they are ready to help, to consider resettlement on humanitarian ground. The spokesperson said that his organization is awaiting responses from the three most directly involved countries of Australia, Indonesia and Norway. |
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