Iran says can't force asylum seekers in Australia home

By Jill Fraser

MELBOURNE

Australia and Iran have discussed human rights, extremism and boosting trade ties during a visit by Iran's foreign minister to Canberra on Tuesday -- but of particular concern was the mandatory return of some 9000 failed Iranian asylum seekers.

Australia wants to forcibly return those found not to require protection under its complementary protection regime or the Refugees Convention, many of whom are currently residing in the country's offshore holding centers.

Javad Zarif told reporters after discussions with Australian counterpart Julie Bishop that the country had no objection to Iranian citizens returning "voluntarily".

"We cannot force anybody to come back to Iran but if anybody wants to come back voluntarily, we always take our citizens with pride," the Australian Associated Press reported him saying Tuesday, adding that it was within Australia's "legal rights" to consider deportations.

Zarif said that combating Daesh had also been a subject of discussion between the two ministers.

"We all need to cooperate together to fight ISIS [Daesh] and extremism, we have seen instances of that type of extremism... from Sydney to San Bernardino, and everywhere in-between," he said.

On Dec. 2, last year, 14 people were killed and 22 seriously injured in an attack in San Bernardino in the United States, while on Dec. 15 2014, a lone gunman took ten customers and eight employees of a cafe hostage in Sydney, Australia.

After a 16-hour standoff, two hostages and the gunman were dead.

"We've seen cases of violent extremism posing a threat not only to one region but our entire international community," Zarif said. "I do not think anybody should consider Daesh or other extremist organisations as a leverage even for temporary political gains."

Also of discussion was Iran's missile program, Zarif reassuring Bishop that his country's recent test-firing of several missiles was not a threat to other countries.

A United Nations resolution endorsing a July 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran calls on the country to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

"We will not use those missiles against anybody except in self-defence," Zarif underlined. "And we challenge those who question our missiles program to make the same statement; simply to make the same statement that they will not attack other countries."

Later Tuesday, an Iranian dissident organization strongly condemned Canberra's bid to forge a deal with Tehran to return asylum seekers.

Paris-based group the National Council of Resistance of Iran issued a statement urging the government, the international community and human rights groups to prevent what it referred to as a "shameful act".

The visit was the first by a senior Iranian minister in 13 years.