Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. The government is committed to a tough but humane policy on immigration. The immigration policy that we have taken in relation to people smugglers embraces a range of measures which are in part consistent with those adopted by the previous government and includes enhancements which have been embraced by this government as well. Furthermore, in dealing with the challenge of asylum seekers worldwide, we will do so on the basis of a humane policy consistent with our international obligations.

The government has embraced this policy on immigration in part because the Liberal government which preceded it failed in a policy called the Pacific solution. The Pacific solution was ineffective and inhumane. It stripped away the dignity of human beings, most of whom are now lawfully living in Australia under decisions taken by the Howard government.

The Liberal Party defend the Pacific solution based on one claim and one claim alone. They claim that the Pacific solution caused the reduction in asylum seekers coming to Australia between 2001 and 2003. Unfortunately, this claim does not stand up when compared with the global figures of the time. They are as follows. The Liberal Party need to reflect on the fact that around the world we saw decreases in the arrival of asylum seekers across this period. Between 2001 and 2003, the number of Iraqis claiming asylum worldwide dropped from 52,000 to 27,000—a drop of 48 per cent. Between 2001 and 2003, the number of Afghans claiming asylum globally dropped from 50,000 to 14,000—a decrease of 73 per cent. Between 2001 and 2003, the number of Sri Lankans claiming asylum globally dropped from 14,000 to 5,600—a decrease of 61 per cent.

The decrease in asylum seekers we experienced arriving in Australia after the introduction of the Pacific solution happened at exactly the same time as decreases were occurring worldwide. The number of arrivals went down in Australia; they went down in the United Kingdom; they went down in Europe; they went down around the world.

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