Australia gets tough on people smugglers

On 9 April, the Australian Government announced an immediate suspension of any new asylum claims from Sri Lankans or Afghans.

As a result of the announcement asylum seekers from these countries will not have their asylum claims assessed for three months (Sri Lanka) or six months (Afghanistan). The suspensions will be reviewed at the end of these periods.

The Australia government is also taking additional steps to crack down on people smugglers and those who finance them.

This suspension has been made as a result of the evolving circumstances in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

The Australian Government expects that the combined effect of this suspension and the changing circumstances in these two countries will mean that it is likely that, in the future, more asylum claims from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will be refused.

The Australian Government will apply new, tougher processes to the assessment of asylum claims from other countries and for those currently on Christmas Island.

Malaysia has been working closely with Australia to combat a recent surge in people smuggling activity in the region. This cooperation has resulted in over 700 people being stopped from embarking on illegal ventures to Australia.

The Australian Government says these changes will mean that fewer people will be granted refugee status in Australia, and more will be sent back to their home countries.

This new policy, combined with the work of Malaysian authorities to combat people smuggling, sends a clear message to people smugglers that governments in the region will not tolerate this criminal behaviour.

In a related move, Australia will strengthen its anti-people smuggling laws by making it an offence for anyone to provide funds or other support that facilitates the crime of people smuggling in Australia.

Australia is determined to send a strong message that, by working closely with partner countries in the region, people smugglers will be caught and they will go to jail. New offences to stop people smuggling with penalties of up to twenty years have been introduced to the Australian Parliament.