Australia will conduct an investigation into reports on the death of some 20 Afghan asylum-seekers, who were denied entry to Australia by the Howard government, said Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans on Monday.
The probe into the Afghan deaths comes after a television documentary suggested that some 20 Afghan asylum seekers, who were deported back to their homeland, were killed by the Taliban on their arrival in Afghanistan.
The Edmund Rice Center, a social research group that looked into the report, said that it has proof of nine deaths of asylum rejected Afghans. Chris Evans, the new Australian immigration minister, has asked his department to look into the claims.
The previous government's Pacific Solution policy, under which the Afghan asylum seekers were denied entry into Australia, was dropped after the new government under Prime Minister Kevin Rudd came into power.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.