AFTA Letter to NZ Immigration Minister

Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman
Minister for Immigration
PO Box 34761
Brikenhead
Auckland
New Zealand


Re: Your announcement to accept 13 of the 78 Tamil asylum seekers

The Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations (AFTA) the umbrella body of the peak Tamil Associations of the States and Territories in Australia and the major cities, Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand, welcomes your announcement made on the 19th of January about your acceptance of 13 of the 78 Tamils who have now been formally processed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We thank you whole heartedly for this humanitarian gesture.

As you are well aware, hundreds of Tamils, fleeing repression in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s ruthless war waged to crush the legitimate struggle of the Tamil people, have been desperate to find refuge in this part of the world. They have been arriving by boat to reach Australian shores. Your decision to take 13 refugees demonstrates your understanding of the plight of these desperate people, your government’s principled approach towards asylum seekers and your willingness to come to the aid of Australia.
This brings to our attention of the assistance New Zealand gave to Australia when NZ came forward to accept 130 Afghan refugees from the Norwegian ship Tampa back in 2001.

We consider taking these 13 Tamils as a great start for a solution to the dire refugee situation in our region. There are hundreds of fleeing Tamils waiting for resettlement in the region and we hope that NZ could accept more refugees processed out of the asylum seekers holed up in a wooden boat at the port of Merak in Indonesia.
AFTA can assure you that these refugees will positively contribute to the social and economic fabric of NZ like the way Tamil migrants and refugees received by you earlier have done.
AFTA through its member associations in NZ always stands ready to assist you in the resettlement of these refugees.

ENDS

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