It is understood that a large number of Hazara asylum seekers are under threat of deportation to Afghanistan. A pivotal decision from 5 judges in the federal Court will be handed down in Melbourne Federal Court at 2pm on Wednesday 20 March 2013. One hundred and twenty Hazara lives hang in the balance of this decision.
Already six Hazara men who have been re-detained for deportation, have had their removal stayed as a result of this as yet still outstanding decision.
They are the men who were denied a fair process when the politicians decided to change the positive decisions from 97% to 37% to “stop the boats”. They then had a review of their decisions by the IMR process (Independent Merits Review) which was so flawed that it is now defunct. Their cases are the same stories of persecution based on convention grounds of religion and ethnicity.
It is well documented that Hazara people are at constant risk of persecution and targeted killings in Afghanistan, and also in Pakistan, where there have been mass killings of Hazara people in recent months.
Advocates are gravely concerned for the welfare of these people who fled from Afghanistan in fear of their lives, very often after losing members of their families to the systematic violence to which Hazara people are subjected. Given the ongoing instability in Afghanistan, it is inevitable that these people would be in danger if they are deported. There are too many documented cases of asylum seekers being returned to Afghanistan, and subsequently being killed or tortured.
Canada has called a moratorium on returning Hazaras to Afghanistan because of the persecution. Recently 30 Afghan MPs have written to the Australian Government urging the abandonment of plans to return asylum seekers to Kabul, because the security situation in the Afghanistan is getting worse and attackers are targeting members of the Hazara ethnic group.They state clearly that their safety cannot be guaranteed.
Please refer to news link below for more information.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-12/afghan-letters/4568656