By Eileen Gould
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania
CANBERRA, Australia – Over the past two weeks, five boats carrying more than 260 asylum seekers have been apprehended in Australian waters by Customs and Border Protection officials. With the latest intervention on September 16, the Rudd government has come under heavy criticism for its immigration and border protection policies.
Those in opposition claim that weakened immigration policies have caused an increase in people smuggling activity in Australia. As a result of a relaxed mandatory detention policy as well as the elimination of temporary protection visas, entering Australia has become easier in recent years. Prior to 2007, when the current administration took office, the Howard government implemented tough anti-asylum seeker laws, requiring refugees to reapply every five years to stay in Australia and also prohibiting their families from joining them. According to Dr. Sharman Stone, an opposition immigration spokeswoman, the government has apprehended ships but has not successfully prevented the flow of asylum seekers.
Government officials claim there is no connection between its policies and the recent increase in asylum boats. The problem has worsened around the globe and will continue to present challenges in the coming years. Displaced individuals from around the world, particularly in places experiencing violence (for instance Sri Lanka, Iraq, and Afghanistan) seek refuge in wealthy developed countries, such as Australia, and are increasingly turning to people smugglers in order to get there.
In an attempt to crack down on people-smuggling, the Rudd government has implemented policies aimed at offshore arrests of criminal syndicates, who charge upwards of US $15,000 per person. The current administration has spent $52 million on border protection, increasing the number of ships, planes, and people patrolling the waters surrounding Australia. In addition, authorities in Australia are cooperating with Indonesian and Malaysian law enforcement to deter unlawful migration. To date, Indonesian law enforcement officials along with the Australian Federal Police have prevented approximately 1,000 individuals seeking asylum from embarking in Jakarta.
Convictions for people smuggling offenses carry heavy fines or lengthy prison sentences. On September 17, two Indonesian men and a Sri Lankan were charged with people smuggling and face a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail or a fine of up to $220,000.
Photo: Australian naval boats apprehend a boat allegedly carrying asylum seekers in waters off the coast of Australia in April 2009, Courtesy of Time.
For more information, please see:
Brisbane Times – Alarm over five asylum boats in 14 days – 18 September 2009
The Canberra Times – Aust faces tide of refugees for ‘years’ – 18 September 2009
Time – Australia: Boat Arrivals of Asylum Seekers Rising – 18 September 2009
The Australian – Suspected asylum seeker smugglers arrested in Perth – 17 September 2009
Australia Network News – Breakdown in immigration policy: Australian opposition – 17 September 2009
Taiwan News – Refugee boat intercepted in Australian waters – 17 September 2009
