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Australia accepts Iraqi refugees from Nauru
17 Dec 2004 A group of 23 recently-recognised Iraqi refugees have left Nauru after more than three years, arriving in Australia to join their relatives. UNHCR has welcomed the move, and urged the government to grant complementary protection to other Iraqi asylum seekers on the island. -
Scholarship offers new hope to refugees in Australia
15 Dec 2004 The University of Adelaide programme offers one scholarship in each of its five faculties in areas of study as diverse as medicine, commerce, the humanities and engineering for refugees with Temporary Protection Visas who meet the academic standards. UNHCR speaks to an Iraqi recipient of the scholarship. -
Feature: Sri Lanka makes citizens out of stateless tea pickers
7 Oct 2004 Some 200,000 stateless people - descendants of Indians imported to work on tea estates - have received citizenship in Sri Lanka under a law passed last year. Generations of tea pickers who had been denied of the right to own property or work officially can now enjoy more choices for a better life. -
Ukraine, Sri Lanka provide models for solving statelessness
6 Oct 2004 UN refugee agency chief Ruud Lubbers has reminded states that there are several million stateless people in the world today and introduced Ukraine and Sri Lanka as positive examples of countries that had found resolutions for the huge and hidden problem. -
UNHCR welcomes move to let temporary refugees stay in Australia
13 Jul 2004 The UN refugee agency has welcomed new measures by the Australian government that recognise the contribution of refugees and give 9,500 temporary protection visa holders a chance to apply to stay in the country permanently. -
Australia shows its heart and support for refugees
28 Jun 2004 To commemorate World Refugee Day, more than 20,000 beautifully crafted hearts were planted in "fields of hearts" in 20 locations across Australia. The multi-coloured hearts bore slogans and images which showed Australian support for refugees and asylum seekers locally and internationally. -
UNHCR calls for renewed attention to plight of displaced Sri Lankans
29 Apr 2004 Some 360,000 uprooted Sri Lankans have returned home since a cease-fire between Tamil Tiger rebels and the Colombo government took effect two years ago. As the nation awaits the resumption of the stalled peace talks, UNHCR is urging renewed focus on the plight of hundreds of thousands of people who remain displaced in their country. -
Sri Lankans displaced in rebel fighting return home
13 Apr 2004 Several thousand displaced Sri Lankans return home after factional fighting among rebels of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) eased. The UN refugee agency expresses hopes that negotiations to end two decades of civil strife in Sri Lanka will continue between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. -
UNHCR applauds Sri Lanka's move to recognise stateless Tamils
4 Dec 2003 The UN refugee agency is supporting a 10-day programme for some 300,000 stateless Tamils of Indian origin to apply for citizenship in Sri Lanka, where they have lived for generations with little legal protection and basic rights.