July 19, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 8, 1423

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LONDON, July 18: The British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, rejected on Thursday the asylum applications of two young boys in Australia, whom the government here describes as Pakistanis.

The boys, aged 11 and 13, who had been on the run for three weeks, had sought asylum at the British consulate in Melbourne, Australia.

The boys had escaped after breaking out of the notorious and remote Woomera camp in Australia.

The two boys claim to be from Afghanistan but the government in London says that they are from Pakistan and are economic migrants.

They were taken from the consulate by Australian federal police on Tuesday to a nearby immigrant detention centre.

Human rights groups have expressed surprise, the asylum bid was rejected so quickly. The children are said to be frightened for their mother and siblings, who were still being held at Woomera.