Post by garfield on Nov 2, 2012 22:10:49 GMT 10
LABOR'S new offshore processing regime has cracked a century of boat arrivals as the Indonesian government yesterday ridiculed Australian attempts to curb the flow.
Indonesian immigration enforcement head Djoni Muhammad also warned 100,000 more people were plotting similar voyages.
"It's a problem," he told ABC Radio, laughing.
Asked if there was an answer to the problem, he laughed again and said: "No answer." The warnings came as Customs and Border Protection said a boat with 57 people was intercepted by the navy northwest of Ashmore Reef off WA on Thursday.
About 5800 people have arrived on the 100 boats since August 13 when the government began threatening new arrivals with the risk of being processed offshore on Nauru or Manus Island.
The first 100 boats on Prime Minister Julia Gillard's watch arrived over 15 months but the last 100 have been intercepted in less than three months.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said yesterday he expected transfers to Manus Island to begin "shortly" but the government had been hit with a flood of people from Sri Lanka after a concerted effort from smugglers.
"This is a business model they've come up with," he said. "They're lying and we're going to show they're lying."
The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday that 26 Sri Lankans had been sent home on a charter flight after being refused entry on the basis their claims for asylum were not credible.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said: "It's about time. We will know whether this is the exception or the rule and whether this is an effective approach when the planes are heading back to Sri Lanka as regularly as the boats are heading to our shores."
Ms Gillard said it was a case of proper processing.
"If they don't have any credible claim, then they should return to where they come from," she said.
Mr Bowen confirmed the plane cost several hundred thousands of dollars.
He said one of the remaining men from the recent pirate ship was also returned, bringing the total number of returns to Sri Lanka since August to 116.
Opposition customs spokesman Michael Keenan said the latest arrival showed the "lack of faith" in the government's ability to stop the boats.
"The people smugglers are so emboldened by the government's actions over the last four years that it is difficult to see that the Labor Party will ever be able to have the required credibility to halt this criminal activity," he said.
Indonesian immigration enforcement head Djoni Muhammad also warned 100,000 more people were plotting similar voyages.
"It's a problem," he told ABC Radio, laughing.
Asked if there was an answer to the problem, he laughed again and said: "No answer." The warnings came as Customs and Border Protection said a boat with 57 people was intercepted by the navy northwest of Ashmore Reef off WA on Thursday.
About 5800 people have arrived on the 100 boats since August 13 when the government began threatening new arrivals with the risk of being processed offshore on Nauru or Manus Island.
The first 100 boats on Prime Minister Julia Gillard's watch arrived over 15 months but the last 100 have been intercepted in less than three months.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said yesterday he expected transfers to Manus Island to begin "shortly" but the government had been hit with a flood of people from Sri Lanka after a concerted effort from smugglers.
"This is a business model they've come up with," he said. "They're lying and we're going to show they're lying."
The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday that 26 Sri Lankans had been sent home on a charter flight after being refused entry on the basis their claims for asylum were not credible.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said: "It's about time. We will know whether this is the exception or the rule and whether this is an effective approach when the planes are heading back to Sri Lanka as regularly as the boats are heading to our shores."
Ms Gillard said it was a case of proper processing.
"If they don't have any credible claim, then they should return to where they come from," she said.
Mr Bowen confirmed the plane cost several hundred thousands of dollars.
He said one of the remaining men from the recent pirate ship was also returned, bringing the total number of returns to Sri Lanka since August to 116.
Opposition customs spokesman Michael Keenan said the latest arrival showed the "lack of faith" in the government's ability to stop the boats.
"The people smugglers are so emboldened by the government's actions over the last four years that it is difficult to see that the Labor Party will ever be able to have the required credibility to halt this criminal activity," he said.
