Kurdish journalist and award-winning author Behrouz Boochani has taken aim at Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, accusing him and other Australian politicians of “benefitting politically” from the detention of asylum seekers and refugees.
The outspoken refugee left Papua New Guinea in mid-November after receiving a one-month visitor's visa to travel to New Zealand for the Word Christchurch literary festival on 29 November.
The trip is his first overseas after more than six years in detention on Manus Island and comes amid speculation he may attempt to claim asylum.
He told SBS Kurdish he was reluctant to leave fellow asylum seekers and refugees in Papua New Guinea but that it was the "right time" to do so.
Behrouz Boochani arrived at Auckland airport Source: Twitter
He said he doesn't want to immediately make a decision about his future beyond the visa period, to avoid damaging relations between Australia and New Zealand.
“I don’t want to damage the relationship between New Zealand and Australia so, for now, I prefer to focus on my event,” he said.
“I want to be here as a writer and focus on what I am going to do on my work. I’m not going to damage the relations because New Zealand invited me here.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, this week, did not confirm her country’s position on Boochani’s visit, saying she would not be drawn on the situation that would see him stay longer.
Boochani believes Ms Ardern’s stance is “right” and said he expects the country’s immigration department to go through the “proper” and “independent” processes when deciding on his future.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Source: AAP
“[Ardern] is in a position that she is not going to politicise [my visit], that’s why both sides want the same thing.”
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Tuesday was reluctant to comment on speculation the former detainee might seek protection in New Zealand and reiterated that he would never step foot in Australia, even if he was granted asylum.
Responding to Mr Dutton, Boochani said he believes Australia’s offshore detention policy has caused "significant damage” to the country's international reputation and says politicians like the home affairs minister are using the policy of offshore detention for their own “political benefits”.
“It's over; they’ve kept people in limbo for more than six years and still don’t have a plan to sort this problem. I cannot understand this kind of politics why they insist to keep people there, it's enough. It’s [been] more than six years, it's enough,” he said.
“The Australian international reputation is already damaged. I wonder why the Australian government insists on continuing this political game.
“Particularly over the past week, many people talk about Australia not only in Australia, in New Zealand, Europe and other countries about a country that doesn’t care about human rights.
“The best thing that can happen for Australia is to release these people and let them go to a third country.”
Boochani previously , a reaction he says that sprung out of frustration.
“For years I was in Manus and I published many articles and works, the power structure and major parties, Liberal and Labor, were treating me in a way that I don’t exist,” he said.
“For the first time the Labor Party put out this statement, it was a recognition that I exist. What made me angry was that they introduced this barbaric policy. For years they have been supporting this policy and I think that’s why I attacked them and criticised them. Many people were on my side on that comment.
“I am an independent person and activist, for years I have tried to keep my independence and that’s why I didn’t want the political parties to get benefits or use this news, which was actually welcomed by the public, for their political benefits.”
During his first week in New Zealand, Boochani has taken the opportunity to rent a car and explore the countryside with Australian Greens Senator Nick McKim.
“We went to the mountains and spent time in nature, to just feel the nature and mountains,” he said.
“We just walked around to feel the mountains; it was so beautiful for me and a beautiful moment. The mountains in New Zealand are similar to the mountains in Kurdistan and there are so many rivers here.”
Boochani arrived in New Zealand with a UN passport, following talks between the organisers of the Christchurch festival and immigration department officials, before receiving sponsorship by Amnesty New Zealand.
سناتور حزب سبز نیک مککیم با بهروز بوچانی، پناهنده سابق ایرانی در جزیره مانوس Source: Supplied
Refugee coordinator for Amnesty International Australia Graham Thom affirms that despite the fact that Boochani remains in the process of being resettled in the US as part of the Australian-US resettlement deal, he says there are a number of possible avenues still open.
"Obviously legally he can seek asylum in New Zealand if he wants to like anybody else, but he is still in the process to go to the US, so we need to see how that plays out and whether that’s where he wants to go," he said.
"There are other visas as well that various governments have. There are skilled visas; there are talent visas for exceptional sportspeople, writers, artists. There are a number of different options available when he’s ready and made up his mind of what he wants to do, there will be assistance waiting and available to help him with that."
You can listen to the full interview with Dr Graham Thom below:
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Amnesty Australia highly concerned for asylum seekers in PNG's Bomana detention centre
SBS Kurdish
22/11/201908:33
