Resettlement of refugees goes on despite Malaysia Solution court case

Abdul Hamid Hassani, back, is grateful Australia will provide a sanctuary for him, his wife Kobra, and their sons, from left, Ahmad Reza, Abbas, Omid and Ali Reza. Picture: John Ishii. Source: The Australian

SIXTY-SIX refugees have already been resettled in Australia since the Malaysia-Australia agreement was signed late last month and 17 more Burmese refugees are due to arrive this morning.

But the Australian government says the arrivals will not be counted under the swap deal, which has been disrupted by legal action.

Australian government sources said last night refugees had been taken from Malaysia since the deal was signed but they had been processed before the deal was finalised and were not part of the new agreement. Refugees were also likely to arrive this week but they, too, had most likely been processed before the deal was signed.

An Immigration Department spokesman said refugees were resettled in Australia every week.

"It is not the practice of the department to publicise the details of their arrival. There are arrivals ongoing from among the Burmese and other populations out of Malaysia," he said.

So far, not one asylum-seeker has been sent from Australia to Malaysia under the much-criticised agreement, which specifies Malaysia will accept 800 asylum-seekers from Australia in return for Australia resettling 4000 recognised refugees over four years.

But 12 Burmese refugees will arrive in Melbourne this morning on a flight from Malaysia and another five are flying into Adelaide today.

Like those Burmese refugees arriving today, the Hassani family looks forward to a new life in Australia, after years of waiting in Malaysia.

They have their Australian visas and are just waiting for the International Organisation for Migration to nominate a departure date. They think in Australia they will find peace and tranquillity, education and the freedom to work, after a life of hardship and discrimination.

Abdul Hamid Hassani is extremely grateful Australia will provide a sanctuary for him, his wife Kobra, and their sons Ali Reza, 17, Ahmad Reza, 14, Omid, 6, and Abbas, 5.

"We are very, very happy," he said. "I like Australia so much, but even if they chose to send me to Bangladesh, I would go."

A master embroiderer, he has been out of work for a month or so, and life can be extremely difficult for refugees in Malaysia. They have to work illegally, are subject to arbitrary arrest and detention, and their children are not permitted to go to government schools.

Mr Hassani said he had never considered putting his family on a boat bound for Australia. "That would need a lot of money," he said. "Right now we don't have enough money for our food."

Like the Burmese due to arrive today, the Hassanis will receive five days of "cultural orientation" to help accustom them to Australian ways, as well as a departure briefing.

Ali Reza hopes to go to university and study medicine, but for now he has work making sweets. Everyone will heave a sigh of relief when they finally get to Australia. "I'm happy to go to Australia, because I won't be a refugee there," Mrs Hassani said.