Malaysian 'solution' under pressure

NICK BUTTERLY and ANDREW PROBYN, The West Australian Updated May 17, 2011, 2:35 am

Julia Gillard's Malaysian Solution is in danger of being swamped before the first asylum seekers are sent back, with another boatload of asylum seekers turning up at Christmas Island.

Government sources told _The West Australian _ it could be up to three weeks before Malaysia signs the deal that would see Australia exchanging 800 unprocessed asylum seekers for 4000 declared refugees.

But already two boats carrying 90 people have been intercepted by Border Protection Command - more than 10 per cent of the Government's agreed quota.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the agreement was unravelling.

"Labor is already borrowing heavily on a deal they have yet to complete with Malaysia, with the arrival of the second illegal boat in as many days," Mr Morrison said.

"As each new boat arrives since the Prime Minister's panicked announcement of her yet to be completed five for one people swap, it further erodes our negotiating position with Malaysia and PNG, who now have us over a barrel."

The latest boat was picked up by the navy yesterday afternoon 17 nautical miles north-west of Christmas Island. It was carrying 55 passengers and two crew.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said the group would be taken to Christmas Island "pending their removal to another country".

A boat with 32 passengers and one crew member was intercepted on Saturday north of Scott Reef.

The passengers on the latest boat are understood to be a mix of Afghans and Iranians.

The two boatloads will be held in a segregated section of the Christmas Island detention camp for fear that if they were placed with other detainees, their forcible removal to Malaysia could spark riots.

The Government is gambling that the removal of the first group of refugees to Malaysia will receive wide media coverage across the region and will serve as a deterrent to others considering making the risky journey to Australia.

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Peter S08:08am Tuesday 17th May 2011 WSTReport Abuse
Any illegal that arrives without a passport, despite having one to get in to Indonesia, should be denied refugee status , also if they don't ask for asylum in the first country they arrive in after leaving their own country, they should not ask for status in Oz , also all should only be given temporary entry visa's. most are economic refugees and are taking the micky out of us. I would like to see how many have full employment after 5 years, and I don't mean as a refugee advocate either. When and if granted temporary residence, they should be housed in camps like the Europeans in the 50's and 60's be fed three meals a day and given bus vouchers to travel to get work, until they have work and can look after their self.
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Colin Hugh Abbott09:25am Tuesday 17th May 2011 WSTReport Abuse
Of course, if this latest policy works, and it STOPS the boats ... then we won't have any asylum seekers to SEND to foreign shores. Therefore, if I understand matters correctly, we won't have to RECEIVE any processed asylum seekers. That, surely, is the theory behind it ... or have I got it wrong?
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JUMBO01:05pm Tuesday 17th May 2011 WSTReport Abuse
Genuine refugees are OK but stop the invaders.They dont intergrate nor do the ever contribute to Australia.
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Marilyn02:23am Wednesday 18th May 2011 WSTReport Abuse
It is absolutely illegal to punish one small group of human beings in this way. Bowen is worse than that savage Ruddock, at least Ruddock didn't do dirty side deals with people who do not recognise refugees at all. As for the use of the words 'unprocessed" they are not frigging milk curd waiting to be churned into butter. They are refugees asking for protection.
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