Fed: Aust makes last resort safe haven plans for Zimbabweans

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2000
Fed: Aust makes last resort safe haven plans for Zimbabweans

CANBERRA, April 24 AAP - Australia was making contingency plans in case it had to give
white Zimbabwean farmers safe haven, Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said today.

Zimbabwe has been wracked by violence as President Robert Mugabe reasserted his hold
on power despite a collapsing economy, corruption and political unrest.

He has backed occupation of white-owned farms by black civil war veterans who say they
are reclaiming land taken under British colonial rule.

Mr Ruddock said the government had contingency planning for crises that occurred anywhere
in the world.

"What we of course hope for is a situation in which there'll be no requirement for
Australia to have to provide safe haven or refugee places," he told the Ten Network.

Mr Ruddock said an operation would not necessarily be the same as that for Kosovar
and East Timorese refugees.

"It depends upon the situation as we assess it and in terms of the nature of the claims
that are being made," he said.

"Obviously the first priority is to see if the representations that we are making and
the approach that the international community is taking will lead to a situation where
people can stay on in their homes and in their country with safety.

"But obviously if the situation deteriorates and there is a need to respond, Australia
has done so in other situations generously and we would do so here."

Mr Ruddock said 20,000 Zimbabweans were entitled to live in the United Kingdom and
he expected some Zimbabweans would be entitled to come to Australia.

There was also capacity within Australia's immigration program to take people.

"What one looks at in relation to the refugee and resettlement programs and to the
safe haven arrangements are the capacities that Australia has and also the extent to which
other countries are involved in effective burden sharing," Mr Ruddock said.

AAP fh/it/bwl

KEYWORD: ZIMBABWE RUDDOCK

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