INFLUX IN AUSTRALIA'S BOAT PEOPLE

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000679 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AS ECON ELAB PREF SMIG SUBJECT: INFLUX IN AUSTRALIA'S BOAT PEOPLE 1.(U) SUMMARY: On July 12, a vessel harboring 73 asylum seekers was intercepted in Australian waters and transferred to Christmas Island for processing. This is part of a recent surge in the number of unauthorized arrivals (mainly asylum seekers) by boat. So far in 2009, 17 boats have arrived carrying a total of 904 passengers, compared with seven boats carrying 161 in 2008. The government attributes the increased number of arrivals to "push factors" such as overseas conflicts, while the Opposition has focused on the government's softening of immigration laws. A large proportion of this year's boat people come from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. End summary. ¶2. (U) Australia is signatory to the United Nations 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. Under its Humanitarian Program, Australia has 6000 refugee places and 7750 special humanitarian program places. ¶3. (U) The government is committed to maintaining what it calls its "hardline, targeted approach" to border protection while addressing issues that have been raised by human rights bodies such as the UN Human Rights Committee. The recently passed Migration Amendment Bill (Abolishing Debt Detention Bill) 2009 ended the practice of charging detainees $125 per day, which left many with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt when they were finally released. Only 3.3% of the debt was ever repaid; most was written off. Last year, the government considerably softened the policy of mandatory detention for unauthorized arrivals. Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull proposed reintroducing three-year temporary protection visas for unauthorized arrivals found to be refugees as a deterrent, but the idea was resisted by some in his party. ¶4. (U) The Christmas Island detention center (off of Australia's northwest coast) processes unauthorized arrivals. Accommodation is at "breaking point" with 725 detainees. According to the Australian press, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship claimed the main detention center could hold 800 but that the island had a contingency plan for 400 more. If the current rate of unauthorized arrivals continues, however, further capacity may be required. ¶5. (U) As a country with loose entry requirements for visitors from other Muslim countries, Malaysia is increasingly becoming a popular point of departure for boats of asylum seekers. Indonesia's close proximity to the northern coast of Australia makes it another popular departure point for asylum seeker boats. Additionally, many "people smugglers" operate from Indonesia, where they cannot be arrested as such actions are not illegal under Indonesian law. Australia has increased cooperation with both countries to combat people smuggling. CLUNE