People smugglers thrive under Labor’s soft touch: Four Corners

02/08/10

ABC’s Four Corners programme has revealed that the people smuggler’s trade to Australia is flourishing in Indonesia, with an 800% increase in people movements to Indonesia since Labor rolled back the strong border protection regime they inherited from the Coalition, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morison said today.

“As long as Labor is in business, the people smugglers are in business,” Mr Morrison said.

“The UNHCR’s representative in Indonesia, Manuel Jordao, confirmed in tonight’s report that there was an 800% increase in people coming into Indonesia in late 2009.  This flood of people clearly looking for a resettlement in Australia, has unleashed a vile trade in human beings,” he said.

“Under the Coalition’s policies the flow of people into Indonesia had been significantly reduced and illegal boat arrivals to Australia had been reduced to just three per year.

“Under Labor’s failed policies we have had an 800% increase in people moving into Indonesia and the boats are now illegally arriving in Australia at the rate of three per week.

“The ABC report showed that as long as the people smugglers have a product to sell, their criminal business will flourish. The Coalition’s policies will deny the people smugglers a product to sell.

“Four Corners also revealed a secret deal to increase Australia’s intake of refugees from Indonesia by 900%.

“Just like Labor’s secret resettlement deal for asylum seekers on the Oceanic Viking, this deal will only encourage more asylum seekers to get to Indonesia in order to get to Australia.

“In the twelve months prior to their last special deal for the Oceanic Viking passengers, there were 49 illegal boat arrivals. In less than twelve months since, there has been more than 100 illegal boat arrivals, an increase of more than 100%.

“If Labor is serious about trying to deter people smugglers, it should be focusing our resettlement programme on the region that is generating the asylum seekers, such as Pakistan and Iran.

“The Coalition’s policy is to increase the proportion of refugees we take from camps, focusing on countries of first asylum, such as Thailand, Pakistan or Iran. We will not create an incentive for secondary movement of asylum seekers to our region.

“The people smugglers are always the winners from Labor’s secret asylum deals.

“Recklessly increasing our refugee intake from Indonesia by 900% will turn Indonesia into an asylum magnet for people seeking to come to Australia, just like their failed plan for a regional processing centre.

“Labor’s special 900% deal will give people smugglers even more incentive to move asylum seekers along their ‘silk road‘ route to Australia.

“Labor just don’t get it, it is their failed policies that are encouraging people to come to our region, it is their failed policies that need to change.

“This is just another knee jerk response from Labor, making asylum seeker policy on the run, that will only make the problem worse,” Mr Morrison said.