INTERVIEW - ABC 612 BRISBANE WITH TERRI BEGLEY
15 October 2009
Subjects: Asylum seekers and immigration into Australia
BEGLEY: Pressure on the Federal Government over its immigration policies is intensifying, with reports authorities are tracking another six boats carrying asylum seekers, suspected to be heading for Australia. At the same time more than 250 Sri Lankans onboard a boat moored in Western Java are refusing to go ashore until they're granted asylum.
The West Australian Premier wants the Government to reconsider the Pacific Solution. The Opposition has proposed a form of temporary visa for asylum seekers.
Brendan O'Connor is the Home Affairs Minister. Welcome to 612 ABC Brisbane.
O’CONNOR: Thank you.
BEGLEY: Can you confirm these reports another six boats carrying asylum seekers are heading for Australia?
O’CONNOR: Look I won't comment on operational matters and intelligence, but can I say of course we dedicate resources to ensure we have proper surveillance, both maritime and aerial of our waters, and we'll continue to ensure that we successfully intercept vessels that seek to come to the mainland and we'll make sure that they're processed properly on Christmas Island.
BEGLEY: So you can't rule it out that there are six boats on the way here?
O’CONNOR: Well I can't comment on intelligence that's provided to government in relation to these matters for obvious reasons. But can I say to you that we'll continue to surveille our waters. We've had a very successful capacity to intercept vessels and have them processed properly.
Our dedication of resources, of course, are focusing on disrupting people smugglers and organised syndicates in source and transit countries with the cooperation of law enforcement agencies like the Indonesian National Police.
BEGLEY: Given that this is a one-way street and the traffic will keep flowing along it, what is the Government's plan to deal with more asylum seekers once they get here?
The detention centre at Christmas Island is now nearing capacity. You've ruled out returning to the Pacific Solution, also ruling out re-opening the Baxter Detention Centre, where will you put these people?
O’CONNOR: The Pacific Solution is an Orwellian term, there was no solution. In fact those people at Nauru have now settled - in the main have settled in Australia. It was a misnomer, and even the previous government was walking away from that process.
What we've sought to do is to work very closely with the Governments within the region to focus on dismantling, deterring the organised syndicates that seek to exploit people, desperate people in some cases, by taking their life savings and placing them on dangerous vessels on an empty promise. We will continue to focus on that and that's why there's been an increase in the prosecution of people smugglers and the increase in the jailing of people smugglers.
BEGLEY: But what are you doing to be able to house more people smugglers who are possibly on the way? The Government's rearranged its centre, it's sending demountable building to increase its capacity by a further 200 places. What will happen when it's full? Where will you take asylum seekers?
O’CONNOR: Well that's clearly a hypothetical question, but can I say the Minister of Immigration's made clear we're continuing to accommodate the arrivals on Christmas Island, and the Minister's made clear there are further contingencies in place. And what we're focusing on, of course, is preventing the organised syndicates from exploiting those people who are seeking to come to First World countries.
What we have to understand is because of the conflicts in Afghanistan, the most violent year was last year since the war began, the civil conflict in Sri Lanka, we have an increased number of people that are seeking to come to First World countries, mostly to Europe and North America, but of course also to Australia. And, therefore, we have to do more and continue to work with the law enforcement agencies in those countries to prosecute the organised syndicates.
BEGLEY: What are the further contingencies that you just mentioned the Government's working on?
O’CONNOR: Well, as I've said, the Minister for Immigration's made clear that there are firstly other options on the Island - that's something you might put to him - but he's made clear that already of course we're seeing an increased number of accommodation facilities being used on Christmas Island and there's also been - if needed there's also of course the option of the Darwin Detention Centre.
But we are confident that we'll continue to work closely with the Governments within the region to ensure that we disrupt the syndicates and indeed reduce the likelihood of people taking an improper passage to our shores.
BEGLEY: The Prime Minister has called for regional cooperation to deal with what he calls the scourge of people smugglers. Why is the Government relying on other countries to deal with the problem?
O’CONNOR: This is a global problem and a regional problem requiring a global and regional response. And in fact, the interception by the Indonesian authorities, of the vessel, only two days ago, underlines the fact that other countries are also concerned with people smuggling. Therefore, we will continue to work with them.
Only recently, a few days ago, I was in Singapore and I met with the Commissioner of the - the Police Commissioner of the Indonesian National Police and met with Ministers from Sri Lanka, in order to ensure that we work very closely. This is a regional problem and it requires, therefore, collaborative efforts by governments across the region.
BEGLEY: If a boat load of asylum seekers was bound for New Zealand would Australia be expected to step in and stop them from heading there?
O’CONNOR: Again, I can only say to you that the Minis… that's a hypothetical question, I can only say to you that we work closely with governments within the region. There's a shared view that there are organised syndicates seeking to exploit those people by taking their life savings, placing them on dangerous vessels and putting their lives in peril.
We will continue to work with those governments who have that concern and already we've seen, of course, the successful interception, by Indonesia, of a vessel because of those reasons.
BEGLEY: But Australia asked Indonesia to stop a boat coming here. Does that put Australia in a situation where we could be expected to stop boat arrivals for New Zealand or other Pacific countries?
O’CONNOR: Well the Indonesians made clear they stopped that vessel as the result of their concern around people smuggling. What we do know is that Malaysia and Indonesia and Sri Lanka and other countries within the region are equally concerned that such syndicates should not be able to exploit people who are seeking a haven.
We need to make sure that there's a proper process of facilitating refugees. We do our fair share, but we need to maintain the integrity of our borders and, indeed, the integrity of our immigration system. And we make no apologies whatsoever for being tough on people smugglers.
BEGLEY: Is it a point in time though that you've got to sit back and redraw, rejig your policy on how you're going to deal with this? What's going to be the circuit breaker? It seems highly unlikely that asylum seeker boats will just stop coming. You've got people desperate to leave their home countries, seeking a better life. Of course they're going to be exploited by criminals, but they're going to take that risk.
O’CONNOR: I think targeting people smugglers is the key and that's why we've dedicated more resources in Colombo in Sri Lanka, Jakarta and other places throughout Indonesia, working very closely with the law enforcement agencies of those countries, because if we dismantle the syndicates, we certainly do make it a lot more difficult for people to be exploited and be enticed to take a very dangerous journey in their attempt to arrive on our shores.
That needs to be our focus and that's we've dedicated more resources in that regard.
BEGLEY: The Opposition has flagged bringing back a form of temporary entry visa for asylum seekers; would the Government consider that option?
O’CONNOR: When it comes to talking about this area the Opposition, of course, perpetuate a number of myths. Happy to have a policy debate with the Opposition, but it's impossible while they're in complete chaos. They have more than one position on this. They have no policy and, indeed, in relation to the temporary protection visas, it's a complete and utter myth to suggest there was any success. In fact there were more irregular arrivals once this temporary protection visa initiative was introduced by the previous government and 90 per cent of people on temporary protection visas were permanently settled in Australia.
So this is just another lie perpetuated by the Opposition, who have no policy and are badly divided on this matter.
BEGLEY: But the public are wondering just what the Government has up its sleeve to deal with more asylum seekers coming to this country. It was an election issue and a headache for Labor back in 2001. Could this cause you trouble in the federal election next year?
O’CONNOR: Well we're not so concerned about the - those matters. We're concerned about prosecuting people smugglers, working very closely with our friends in the region to dismantle and deter such syndicates that would seek to exploit people, seek to take their life savings and place them on dangerous vessels. That's our focus and in doing that we will reduce the likelihood of people taking such dangerous passage and seeking to undermine the integrity of our immigration system.
BEGLEY: Brendan O'Connor, thank you.
O’CONNOR: Thank you very much.
