Plans afoot for refugees from Timor

By Audrey Young

political reporter

New Zealand is preparing to open its doors to traumatised refugees from East Timor.

Officials are drawing up advice to the Government on possible numbers and costs after a request last week by Australia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

New Zealand's response may be on the agenda at talks next week between the Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, and the Australian leader, John Howard, when they meet at the South Pacific Forum in Palau.

On the way back, Mrs Shipley will visit Darwin, the base for Anzac forces due to join the UN security force in ravaged East Timor.

About 1500 refugees are camping in Darwin under safe-haven visas. Most are being moved to temporary homes in other Australian cities while Darwin prepares for more.

Up to 200,000 refugees have ended up in West Timor, sovereign Indonesian territory.

Mrs Shipley and the Minister of Immigration, Tuariki Delamere, have asked for prompt advice, a spokesman for Mr Delamere said.

The last time the Government announced a special intake of refugees over and above the 750 annual quota was in April, when 200 Kosovar families - about 600 people - were offered refuge, permanently if they wished. Most of those who came had family in New Zealand, some English, and were relatively healthy.

But many East Timorese are in very poor health, and would need much more support.

The immigration service's refugee centre at Mangere, in South Auckland, can take about 240 people; it has room at present for about 100 more.

Meanwhile, Mrs Shipley has ruled out a quick detour to Dili on her return from the forum. It was not logistically feasible or appropriate, a spokesman said. "She would be putting pressure on an already difficult situation." A future trip to Dili before the election was "very, very unlikely."

Mrs Shipley is understood to have received conflicting advice as to whether the trip would be politically wise.

But the prevailing view was that it was likely to be seen as a cynical pre-election ploy that would create problems for people on the ground already under pressure.