Afghan refugees should stay home: Downer

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer says Afghans coming to Australia on boats as refugees should be staying in their homeland and helping rebuild it.

Mr Downer told ABC’s Lateline program on Monday night Australia is sending its young soldiers to Afghanistan to help provide stability and security while at the same time there are Afghans who don’t want to stay and help with the rebuild and instead come to Australia illegally.

“I live near a military base and I can’t help but think our young people are training to go there and their young people are coming here on boats,” Mr Downer said.

He said Afghans would be best advised to try to do everything to support their own country and the establishment of a democratic and prosperous society.

He conceded some people are forced to flee to refugee camps in neighbouring Pakistan where they are set upon by people smugglers who offer them deals to get to Australia.

“It’s a trade, it’s a business and it’s a business I helped to close down in the early 2000s,” Mr Down said.

“It’s a business that’s been allowed to open up again.

“It’s dangerous, it’s costing lives and it’s destroying the whole integrity of our refugee program – and it needs to be closed down.”

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