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Asylum seekers ... the Papuans at the centre of the row
FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer has ruled out changing government policy to allow Papuan asylum seekers to be sent home if this was in Australia's foreign policy interest.
Mr Downer said the foreign minister historically had such a power, but it was essentially unusable because of the conflict with Australia's international obligation to protect refugees.
"Where that power once existed, it has been disbanded," he told the Nine Network today.
The relationship between Australia and Indonesia has been strained since Australia's immigration department granted temporary protection visas to 42 Papuan asylum seekers last month.
Indonesia has temporarily recalled its ambassador and its companies were threatening to boycott Australian goods.
In a move aimed at healing the rift, Prime Minister John Howard flagged a review on Friday of the Government's processes for accessing applications for asylum.
Mr Downer said that various options were being assessed but there was no simple answer.
"We have certain obligations under the 1951 refugee convention and we will obviously uphold those obligations. Secondly, we are having a look at whether there are better ways we can implement that policy than has currently been the case. I am not sure that there are," he said.
Mr Downer said he could not simply overturn an application for asylum made on Australian territory.
If that application was accepted, he could not reject that application simply on foreign policy grounds, he said.
"It is actually very difficult once an application has been made, and in particular once an application has been accepted, to in any way overturn that," he said.
Another suggestion has been that Australia should consult Indonesia about those seeking asylum.
Mr Downer said a complication was that such a move would reveal the person's identity to the nation from which he or she was fleeing.
He said another possibility was to strengthen the maritime border patrols by the Australian and Indonesian navies to stop asylum seeker boats.
"But whether any of these is going to be much of a solution to solving a problem, that's another question," he said.
Mr Downer said he had discussed the crisis in relations with Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda, stressing it was in both countries' interest to continue a constructive relationship.
"We have the potential to make progress. We have more work to do and we will be looking at some of the options that might be available to the Government during the course of this coming week," he said.
Mr Downer said he had told Mr Wirajuda Australia was considering some options, but he had not suggested Indonesia could have a say in who was granted protection visas.
"We have not even come close to settling on what direction we might go," he said.
