Archived Media Release
Minister for Home Affairs and Justice
The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP

7 May 2011

Australia off limits to people smugglers

The Australian Government has announced that asylum seekers arriving in Australian waters by boat will be transferred to Malaysia.

The Minister for Home Affairs and Justice Brendan O’Connor said this decision sends a clear message to would-be people smugglers and asylum seekers.

“If you set out for Australia by boat to seek asylum, you will not arrive in Australia.

“You will be intercepted and diverted to Malaysia – not Australia.”

“If you are not a genuine refugee you will certainly never see Australia. You will be sent back to the country that you came from.”

“If you are a genuine refugee, there is no guarantee you’ll be resettled in Australia. You may be resettled in any of dozens of countries across the world that are willing to take refugees.”

This new arrangement removes the product people smugglers sell and the reason vulnerable people use them.

“People smuggling is illegal in Australia. We will not tolerate it,” Mr O’Connor said.

“For many years we have seen people seriously injured or killed during people smuggling ventures and this is our latest move in the fight against this deadly trade in human life.”

The new arrangements will apply to asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat from the time of today’s announcement.

On 30 March 2011, as part of the Bali Process, more than 40 countries agreed to establish a Regional Cooperation Framework to enhance the region’s response to irregular migration and combat people smugglers.

With today’s announcement Australia is acting to implement the Regional Cooperation Framework, which is a positive step toward establishing a lasting regional response to an enduring international challenge.

The Framework aims to take cooperative action to remove the incentive for asylum seekers to engage people smugglers, and improve consistency in the treatment of asylum seekers.

Regional governments, including Australia, will continue to work together to wreck the criminal people smuggling syndicates who are risking vulnerable people’s lives on dangerous sea journeys.

Media Adviser:
Jayne Stinson +61 458 547 512 [email protected]