Howard defends hard line on asylum

Howard said Australians should not waver in their support for a hard line on illegal immigration

CANBERRA, Australia -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard has defended his government's controversial policy on asylum seekers saying he believes Australia has been judged too harshly by outside critics.

Since August Australia has been following a tough policy of blocking asylum seekers who arrive on boats operated by people smugglers from arriving on the mainland.

Instead naval patrols have been ordered to turn the boats back out to sea or to transport the asylum seekers to camps on neighboring Pacific islands where their applications for refugee status are processed.

The policy has been condemned by international human rights and refugee groups who say Australia is reneging on its responsibilities towards refugees, many of whom have fled war and ethnic persecution in the Middle East as well as South and Central Asia.

It has also prompted a rebuke from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

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However, speaking to Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio Friday Howard urged Australians not to waver in their support for a policy that was widely seen as a key factor in Howard's reelection as prime minister last month.

His comments came at the end of a week that has seen serious unrest at one of the remote detention centers used to hold illegal immigrants.

Officials say the trouble at the Woomera camp was caused by several detainees frustrated at having their applications for asylum rejected.

The camp was reported to be calm on Friday although the government says it will stick firmly to its mandatory detention policy for all illegal immigrants.

Speaking to the ABC Howard said he was aware that some Australians felt ashamed about the international criticism the government's policy on asylum seekers had attracted.

"They automatically assume that whenever criticism is voiced of this country from abroad that criticism is correct and that Australia must be unworthy and wrong and immoral," Howard said.

"I don't take that view," he added. "I have a more optimistic view of Australia's history and what Australia has achieved."

He said Australia could not possibly accept all the people wanting to claim asylum in the country but said that did not mean he lacked concern for their plight.

"We do care. I find this a very difficult area of public policy," the prime minister said. "Don't make the mistake of sort of putting all of the moral sanction on one side of the argument… It is not like that."