INTERVIEW - 2GB BREAKFAST
16 March 2010
Subject: Boat Arrivals
ANDREW MOORE: Yes, Brendan O'Connor is Home Affairs Minister, and he's been kind enough to join us this morning, for phoning through, Mr O'Connor, I appreciate your time.
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Morning, Andrew.
ANDREW MOORE: Now you say push factors stemming from various regional conflicts that are blamed for the continued flow of asylum seekers to Australia, is that still the Government's position?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: That is, and in fact it was the previous Government's position.
ANDREW MOORE: But now we've got the UN saying the situation is improving, we've got figures in the UK which are showing that they've had a six per cent decline in asylum applications, why are more and more coming here specifically?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Firstly, the asylum claims for Afghanistan, or by Afghanis, rose by 34 per cent last year, and there's about eight or nine countries—I can go through them if you like—where there was an increase in claims in 2009. What we've seen is an overall increase in refugee asylum claims in the last three years, and as a result, you'll see the incidence of people seeking asylum in this country rise. That's why we've got to make sure we've got our people out there, intercepting the vessels, and processing them properly.
ANDREW MOORE: Yeah, I mean it's still a long way from what we've been told in the last election, where we're going to be turning boats back, and the like. Are we being tough on asylum seekers, because it doesn't seem to most Australians that we are being?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: I think it's a really important point, Andrew, we are being tough on people-smugglers. For example, since September, 2008, we have convicted 28 people-smugglers in our courts; we've arrested over 100, and we've got 83 further to be prosecuted. So we're certainly cracking down on people-smuggling activities.
You heard the President of Indonesia only last week indicate they're about to legislate to criminalise people-smuggling, which is something we do welcome. Malaysia's doing the same, because this is a regional problem, we have countries where...
ANDREW MOORE: Well, it's a shame they're only going to a five year maximum though.
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Well, they've going to five year maximum—they're putting forward that. That's certainly better than it is now. It also provides opportunities for extradition, so the cooperation between the two countries is important. I think, also, that it's important we dedicate our efforts to dismantle those syndicates.
In relation to the refugee claims, we'll assess claims. If there are people fleeing persecution, we'll consider taking our fair share, just like the United States and Canada, and the United Kingdom. What we won't do of course, is condone a process that's unlawful, and a process that places people in danger, quite frankly.
So that's why we'll continue to work with Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries in the region, to target people-smugglers, we've got to smash the syndicates, to stop the flow.
ANDREW MOORE: There's a 20 year maximum for people-smuggling here in Australia, as I understand it, how many people that you're aware of, have got 20 years?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Most of the people who have been convicted, are convicted between five and six years. They are those that have been crews on the vessels. What we, of course, are always seeking are those—the big fish if you like—those people who are running the organised syndicates, not in Australia, normally, but overseas. What we need is closer regional cooperation so we can target those serious criminals and ensure they're convicted for long sentences.
ANDREW MOORE: So we've got Christmas Island Detention Centre bursting at the seams, and reports that the Darwin facility's ready to go, and it could be in operation as early as this week, is that likely?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: We look at this from time to time. The Government's been up front with the Australian people, we have had a high incidence of arrivals, we're processing them properly, making sure it's done in an off-shore facility. We will continue to monitor it. As the Minister for Immigration, as early as September last year, said, the contingency option was the Darwin centre. At this point we continue to expand accommodation on Christmas Island—that is our preferred option.
ANDREW MOORE: How can you keep expanding it, I don't understand how many more people you can fit in there?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: As you know, the previous Government constructed the site for 400, with an expansion of 800, we've now extended that to ensure we can accommodate far more. That's our preferred option, we believe that is a better way to process claims, and indeed assess for security, health and other reasons, those people that are arriving in these vessels.
But we have to monitor it, and as the Minister for Immigration made clear six months ago, Darwin was an option to be considered, but of course Christmas Island is our preference.
ANDREW MOORE: So again, would Darwin be in operation within the next week, if these reported two vessels do arrive, or get intercepted?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: I've seen the reports in the paper and, as I say, the Government assesses the situation on an ongoing basis. We have had a high incidence of arrivals this year, that's very clear, everyone's aware of that, we've intercepted all of those vessels, and those people have been processed properly. But we have to monitor what else we are to do, if there are capacity constraints on Christmas Island...
ANDREW MOORE: So how close to Christmas Island is it to capacity?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: It's closer to capacity than we would prefer. We look to process those people on Christmas Island. For those who are not genuine asylum seekers, they're returned home. Most people are then processed and are settled, mainly in Australia if they are genuine refugees. That reduces the accommodation issues on the island - reduces the capacity constraint, so that we've got more spare accommodation.
ANDREW MOORE: Can it deal with another 200, if they arrive this week?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Again, it will depend on a number of variables, how many come off the island, genuinely, and how many then can be accommodated. As I say, we're looking at this on a week to week basis. Of course we'd like to see a decline in the vessels, which of course would relieve some of the pressure. I would like to say though, that officials on the island, and indeed our officials on those vessels that intercept those leaky boats, are doing a fantastic job.
It's an arduous job, dealing with people, many desperate people and often families that are on these unseaworthy vessels. We want to make sure we process them professionally and in an orderly manner. But, in the end, my focus, and the focus of the Government, is working closely with Indonesia and Malaysia, and other countries, to dismantle those syndicates...
ANDREW MOORE: Yeah, I think most Australian people don't want refugees who haven't yet got the appropriate visas on our mainland, do you think most Australians are satisfied with the way the Federal Government's handling asylum seekers?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: That's up to each and every individual, I'm sure people would like to see the end of the flow of arrivals, as Minister Ruddock said during the Howard years, international factors caused the surge, as we know, the Howard Government years have had the highest three years of arrivals in our history...
ANDREW MOORE: At least they reacted to it at the end, by turning them away.
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Well, there was a boat turnaround in 2003, and then not after that. The fact is, that there were two things that occurred internationally, that affected the slowing of vessels: firstly, the invasion of Iraq meant that fewer people were fleeing persecution in that country, which led to fewer people seeking to come to Australia, and, secondly, there was a repatriation program in Afghanistan, which slowed, very much, those people seeking asylum out of Afghanistan.
Now that coincided with some domestic policies here, but let's be clear about this, the Howard Government blamed international factors when there was a surge, and then chose to conveniently congratulate themselves, when there was a slowing...
ANDREW MOORE: Right, Brendan O'Connor, I'm sorry to interrupt, and I do appreciate your time, we're coming - we're into the 7.30 news right now, so I have to leave it there, I appreciate your time.
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: No problem, Andrew.
ANDREW MOORE: Brendan O'Connor, Home Affairs Minister.
