Australian rights warriors hunt refugee rejects

CANBERRA, Jan 3 (Reuters) Phil Glendenning has had guns jammed in his ribs, was jailed in Kabul and no longer wears the football jumper of his native Australia as he scours the globe to check the fate of assylum seekers his nation rejects.

Fed up with what he believes is the Australian government's hollow promise that thousands of boatpeople rejected in recent years would be safe in their homelands, Glendenning searches for rejected asylum seekers to tell their harrowing stories.

''Some of these people have paid with their lives, or their children have. They said that they would be persecuted, but their stories were not believed,'' Glendenning told Reuters.

Glendenning, a former history teacher, heads the Sydney-based Edmund Rice Centre, founded by Christian Brothers in 1996 to fight for human rights, mainly among Australia's Aborigines.

But since turning its attention to asylum seekers, after the Australian government used soldiers in 2001 to stop 438 mainly-Afghans onboard a Norwegian freighter from reaching ustralian, its small staff have criss-crossed the world.

From Colombia to Syria and over five continents, Glendenning, a 48-year-old father of three and a band of helpers have taken it upon themselves to verify government promises that rejected refugees are safe in the countries they are returned to.

''We had bits of stories from people who'd been deported that they were in pretty dangerous circumstances,'' Glendenning said as he headed off on another journey to India and Pakistan to record stories, photograph documents and assemble dossiers.

''People want to tell their stories. They realise that we can't do anything to help them, but they might be able to prevent the same thing happening to others,'' he said.

SHOCKING STORIES Australia has welcomed around half a million refugees since 1945, but takes a tougher line with asylum seekers who try to enter the country illegally. Around 4,000 sought entry each year between 2000 and 2003 and under government policy were detained in remote processing camps, with many later deported.

The stories of those sent back are often shocking, says Glendenning, citing Iraqi asylum seeker Mohammed Sharif al-Saraf, a Shi'ite, who was allowed to stay in Australia for three years until 2004 but was then sent home to Iraq and killed in Baghdad after being accused of being an Australian spy.

Al-Saraf, who left a wife and two children in Iran, had been assured by Australian authorities that he was no longer in danger in Iraq after the removal of Saddam Hussein's government.

Then there was an Afghan man from the minority Hazara ethnic group who Glendenning will not name, whose daughters, aged six and nine, were killed when their home was bombed in a country Canberra had promised would be safe.

Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in 2000 asked Prime Minister John Howard's conservative government to monitor those deported or sent home with A CANBERRA, Jan 3 (Reuters) Phil Glendenning has had guns jammed in his ribs, was jailed in Kabul and no longer wears the football jumper of his native Australia as he scours the globe to check the fate of assylum seekers his nation rejects.

Fed up with what he believes is the Australian government's hollow promise that thousands of boatpeople rejected in recent years would be safe in their homelands, Glendenning searches for rejected asylum seekers to tell their harrowing stories.

''Some of these people have paid with their lives, or their children have. They said that they would be persecuted, but their stories were not believed,'' Glendenning told Reuters.

Glendenning, a former history teacher, heads the Sydney-based Edmund Rice Centre, founded by Christian Brothers in 1996 to fight for human rights, mainly among Australia's Aborigines.

But since turning its attention to asylum seekers, after the Australian government used soldiers in 2001 to stop 438 mainly-Afghans onboard a Norwegian freighter from reaching ustralian, its small staff have criss-crossed the world.

From Colombia to Syria and over five continents, Glendenning, a 48-year-old father of three and a band of helpers have taken it upon themselves to verify government promises that rejected refugees are safe in the countries they are returned to.

''We had bits of stories from people who'd been deported that they were in pretty dangerous circumstances,'' Glendenning said as he headed off on another journey to India and Pakistan to record stories, photograph documents and assemble dossiers.

''People want to tell their stories. They realise that we can't do anything to help them, but they might be able to prevent the same thing happening to others,'' he said.

SHOCKING STORIES Australia has welcomed around half a million refugees since 1945, but takes a tougher line with asylum seekers who try to enter the country illegally. Around 4,000 sought entry each year between 2000 and 2003 and under government policy were detained in remote processing camps, with many later deported.

The stories of those sent back are often shocking, says Glendenning, citing Iraqi asylum seeker Mohammed Sharif al-Saraf, a Shi'ite, who was allowed to stay in Australia for three years until 2004 but was then sent home to Iraq and killed in Baghdad after being accused of being an Australian spy.

Al-Saraf, who left a wife and two children in Iran, had been assured by Australian authorities that he was no longer in danger in Iraq after the removal of Saddam Hussein's government.

Then there was an Afghan man from the minority Hazara ethnic group who Glendenning will not name, whose daughters, aged six and nine, were killed when their home was bombed in a country Canberra had promised would be safe.

Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in 2000 asked Prime Minister John Howard's conservative government to monitor those deported or sent home with A$2,000 repatriation payment to ensure their safety.

In the face of official reluctance, the Edmund Rice Centre has interviewed 85 former asylum seekers in 25 countries, and has spoken to upwards of 250 people about their experiences.

The centre, funded by public donations, verifies stories with the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and other rights groups, compiling them into published reports.

But those stories have not been well received by the government, which says it has no mandate to follow up on returned asylum seekers.

''Australia has no right to monitor a person after their departure from Australia and arrival in their home country,'' a spokesman for Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said.

He said refugees to Australia were selected on the basis on need and recommendations by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

''Despite repeated requests, the Edmund Rice Centre has been unable or unwilling to provide the government with sufficient information to allow its allegations to be properly examined,'' the spokesman said.

Glendenning said the government, which faces an election in late 2007 after 10 years in power, is unwilling to listen to stories which contradict its approach.

SMALL TRIUMPHS The centre has racked up what it regards as fleeting triumphs.

As a result of Edmund Rice interviews, some refugees have resettled in Canada and New Zealand and an Angolan man is now working in London as a bricklayer.

Glendenning said their stories are remarkably similar and if their tales of mistreatment are lies, then they are lies which somehow span the globe.

''There's either a rocket-size conspiracy or a case to be answered,'' he said.

But the search for Australia's rejected asylum seekers is not without dangers. In Kabul, Glendenning was forced to talk his way out of jail with World Cup football stories after having guns placed against his head and chest.

''The point is we can get out, and we can just go to the airport and get on a plane. The people that we send back cannot,'' he said.

Australia's long reputation as a country of opportunity and equality for newcomers who make up 25 per cent of the country's 20 million population may have also been put at risk.

''I wear a New Zealand football jersey half the time I'm in West Asia, because Australia is extraordinarily unpopular,'' said Glendenning.

''One upon a time if you were an Australian overseas it was a passport to being embraced and welcomed, but I think our policies have deeply changed that.'' REUTERS SP RK0920 ,000 repatriation payment to ensure their safety.

In the face of official reluctance, the Edmund Rice Centre has interviewed 85 former asylum seekers in 25 countries, and has spoken to upwards of 250 people about their experiences.

The centre, funded by public donations, verifies stories with the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and other rights groups, compiling them into published reports.

But those stories have not been well received by the government, which says it has no mandate to follow up on returned asylum seekers.

''Australia has no right to monitor a person after their departure from Australia and arrival in their home country,'' a spokesman for Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said.

He said refugees to Australia were selected on the basis on need and recommendations by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

''Despite repeated requests, the Edmund Rice Centre has been unable or unwilling to provide the government with sufficient information to allow its allegations to be properly examined,'' the spokesman said.

Glendenning said the government, which faces an election in late 2007 after 10 years in power, is unwilling to listen to stories which contradict its approach.

SMALL TRIUMPHS The centre has racked up what it regards as fleeting triumphs.

As a result of Edmund Rice interviews, some refugees have resettled in Canada and New Zealand and an Angolan man is now working in London as a bricklayer.

Glendenning said their stories are remarkably similar and if their tales of mistreatment are lies, then they are lies which somehow span the globe.

''There's either a rocket-size conspiracy or a case to be answered,'' he said.

But the search for Australia's rejected asylum seekers is not without dangers. In Kabul, Glendenning was forced to talk his way out of jail with World Cup football stories after having guns placed against his head and chest.

''The point is we can get out, and we can just go to the airport and get on a plane. The people that we send back cannot,'' he said.

Australia's long reputation as a country of opportunity and equality for newcomers who make up 25 per cent of the country's 20 million population may have also been put at risk.

''I wear a New Zealand football jersey half the time I'm in West Asia, because Australia is extraordinarily unpopular,'' said Glendenning.

''One upon a time if you were an Australian overseas it was a passport to being embraced and welcomed, but I think our policies have deeply changed that.'' REUTERS SP RK0920