Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I will add it up for you if you like, Senator, but this year we are at a figure of about 1,100, plus the most recent arrivals. As I say, these things are all on the public record. I make them available and provide as much information as I can. As the senator would well know, we have seen an increase in the number of arrivals in recent months. This is in line with international trends which show that the number of asylum seekers seeking protection in the world has risen considerably. Countries like the USA, the UK, Canada and Italy are all facing increased numbers of asylum seekers, much more in the order of tens of thousands than those we are seeing.