Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the former Prime Minister’s special deal over the Oceanic Viking require Australia to take any of the 17 passengers currently in Romania, some of whom have been rejected by the United States and Canada on security grounds?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I refer the Leader of the Opposition to a statement about this matter by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship which was released on Friday last week and which indicates that there are 17 asylum seekers who have been in a transit centre in Romania. As I understand the situation, processing of their refugee claims has been done. Of course, before they would be able to come to Australia there would have to be appropriate security clearances in the normal way.