Refugee Youths Denied U.K. Haven . . .

Refugee Youths Denied U.K. Haven

Boys who fled camp forced to return

Friday, July 19, 2002
By Valerie Hannah
The Sunday Herald

Police recaptured 25 of the asylum seekers and charged them with escaping federal custody. Several refugee advocates were also charged with aiding and abetting the escapees. Jeremy Moore, another refugee advocate, said the children had been forced to go to British diplomats because of Australia's harsh treatment of asylum seekers. "The British treat refugees better than we do in this country," he said.

Two teenage boys were back in an Australian detention centre last night after the UK rejected their asylum applications three weeks after they escaped from an outback refugee camp.

The brothers, aged 12 and 13, had been on the run since June after breaking out of the remote Woomera camp when refugee advocates tore down part of a razor wire fence.

They arrived at the British consulate in Melbourne yesterday after travelling more than 600 miles.

However, their asylum applications were rejected because the Home Office said there were "no grounds for anyone to seek asylum in Britain from Australia". Australia has also refused to grant them asylum.
(More: TheHerald.com News Source)
2002 © The Sunday Herald.

Dan