Hazara Nation

MANY other Iraqis deserve to be accepted as refugees in Australia other than those the army wants to bring with it when it withdraws from the country, a human rights lawyer says.

The offer of permanent residence, announced by the Federal Government last night, will be extended to all so-called locally engaged employees and their families.

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said he expected up to 600 visas would be issued.

Lawyer Greg Barns said today there were many other Iraqis in difficulty around the world who deserved to be considered.

"There's a huge Iraqi refugee problem around the world who've been displaced by the war in Iraq and a lot of those people I think would be dismayed that their applications to come to Australia are taking much longer than those who stayed and have helped the Australian army," he said on ABC radio.
Mr Barns said the situation at the end of the Vietnam war, when Australia took many Vietnamese with it during the withdrawal, was different.

"In the case of Vietnam, the Fraser government did the right thing and it said that anyone who came in on a boat to Australia, and that included people from all around Vietnam, was entitled to come to Australia. It opened the doors," he said.

"What's happening here is we are selecting people that we consider have helped Australia over in Iraq."

Opposition immigration spokesman Chris Ellison said Australia was doing the right thing.

"If someone stands by our Australian troops in need we look after them. We don't leave them high and dry," he said.

"The crucial issue here is that these people are being targeted because they gave our troops assistance and their families are being targeted as well.

"It's only fair that Australia stand by them and look after them."