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Pacific

Afghan president says refugees off Australia visit agenda

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Protesters with a cutout of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani demonstrate against his visit to Australia outside Government House where Ghani met with Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, in Canberra Monday, April 3, 2017. Hundreds of protesters demonstrated against his visit, calling for his government to end discrimination against the Hazara ethnic minority and to refuse to repatriate asylum seekers rejected by Australia. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk) (The Associated Press)

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    Image 2 of 3

    Protesters with a cutout of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani demonstrate against his visit to Australia outside Government House where Ghani met with Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, in Canberra Monday, April 3, 2017. Hundreds of protesters demonstrated against his visit, calling for his government to end discrimination against the Hazara ethnic minority and to refuse to repatriate asylum seekers rejected by Australia. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk) (The Associated Press)

  • 578f4efc-
    Image 3 of 3

    Protesters demonstrate against Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's visit to Australia, outside Government House where Ghani met with Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, in Canberra Monday, April 3, 2017. Hundreds of protesters demonstrated against his visit, calling for his government to end discrimination against the Hazara ethnic minority and to refuse to repatriate asylum seekers rejected by Australia. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk) (The Associated Press)

CANBERRA, Australia – Afghanistan's president says he hasn't discussed during his visit to Australia taking back asylum seekers, a prospect that mobilized hundreds of protesters who argue that Afghanistan is too dangerous for its nationals to be forced home.

Ashraf Ghani will on Wednesday end the first visit to Australia by an Afghan president.

On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters called for Ghani's government to end discrimination against the Hazara ethnic minority and to prevent the repatriation of Hazara asylum seekers rejected by Australia.

Afghanistan signed an agreement with Australia in 2011 to accept failed Afghan asylum seekers, but repatriations have since been rare and Afghan lawmakers have spoken out against forced returns.

Ghani declined to say on Australian Broadcasting Corp. television Tuesday whether he would be comfortable with Australia returning Afghan asylum seekers.