Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Why are we sending back asylum seekers? Because they have arrived illegally as the result of work by people smugglers. That is why they are being sent back. Sri Lanka deserves to be commended for taking back people who have come here without a defensible claim of asylum. That is why they are being sent back.

Moreover, we have investigated four allegations of mistreatment. Two were found by our high commission to be absolutely invalid and two are still being investigated. So, of the thousands returned, there have been four complaints—four allegations about mistreatment. The fact is—

Senator Milne interjecting—

I am getting on to that other part of the question. It is precisely because of those concerns expressed by the Human Rights Commissioner that we co-sponsored the resolution in the Human Rights Council to have these inquiries—that is precisely why we did that. Our record on this is commendable, unimpeachable— (Time expired)