Bougainvillean woman

Australia

Bougainvillean woman granted refugee status

Australia’s decision to grant refugee status to a 23-year-old Boganville woman is expected to lead to more applications from Bougainvilleans who have fled the fighting on the copper rich island.

In Melbourne in late January, the Refugee Reviews Tribunal granted refugee status to Lillian Crofts, who arrived in Australia as a student in 1984.

Three other Bougainvilleans have applications for refugee status pending, and it’s expected there will be more applications from the estimated 100 —200 Bougainviilens now living in Australia.

In Croft’s case, she applied for refugee status about three years ago after being detained for two and a half weeks at the Maribyrnong Detention Centre in Melbourne.

“I went to the immigration offices for help when my student visa expired . Instead of helping me they locked me up. I was treated okay but I was made to feel like a criminal,” she said.

With the helps of civil rights lawyer, Rosemary Gillespie, an application was made seeking refugee status. Croft said she feared persecution by the Papua New Guinea government if she tried to return home, because she supported independence

for Bougainville.