Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is—surprise, surprise—to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Evans. I refer to reports such as those in yesterday’s Australian that:

Asylum-seekers are arriving in Australia by air in numbers that dwarf boat arrivals, after paying people-smugglers up to $US40,000, for a package that includes airfares, false passports and forged Australian visas.

Is the minister aware of reports of this racket? When will the government start taking effective steps to protect our borders and stop the surge of illegal arrivals?

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

I thank Senator Fierravanti-Wells for the question. I notice that she is quoting from yesterday’s Australian. At least earlier in the week the quotes were from the same day. But it is the case that there was an article in the Australian which talked about people paying people-smugglers when seeking to come by air. It is a reality that we have had people seeking to enter Australia unlawfully by air and by boat for many years. What the article really implies is that it is more expensive to come by air as a result of the charges that occur. That is probably right.

The airport and air-arrival security arrangements are strong. They are the same ones that existed under the previous government. We do have to deal people arriving in an unauthorised manner. But I make the point that most people arrive with valid travel documentation; most people who then seek asylum in this country actually arrive with valid documentation. We have very strict multilayered systems for detecting people trying to enter by air or by ship. As I said, when they arrive they have to present their documentation—their passport, their visas et cetera. What we know is that last year there were 1,284 people refused immigration clearance at Australian airports. That represented one-tenth of a per cent of the 26 million arrivals and departures at the border in that year. About 90 per cent of those who were refused immigration clearance departed Australia within 72 hours, in most cases on the next available flight. So we generally turn the vast majority around straightaway if they do not have valid papers. (Time expired)

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the minister had been here for the MPI, he would have heard me referring to those reports yesterday. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Since the Rudd government caved in and weakened Australia’s immigration policies in July 2008, figures in the DIAC annual report show a staggering 33 per cent increase in applications for onshore protection visas in just one year and a 42 per cent increase over two years. Given these figures, how can the minister continue to flatly deny that Labor’s changes to the immigration policies have not caused any increases?

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

I am sorry that I missed the senator’s speech. I was glued to Sky television. There was reporting of party meetings in this building. I must admit that I, like most people in the building, were more focused on the Liberal Party than the senator’s speech. But I will have a look at the Hansard. I am not sure that I am going to accept the figures quoted by the senator in her question.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why not?

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

I am not sure that they are an accurate reflection—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They’re from your annual report.

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

I am not sure that that is an actual, proper reflection. But I am aware that the number of—

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would you like me to tell you the page number? Page 94.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Try page 94.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister is answering the question.

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

I am aware of some increase in the number of PV applications lodged in the last year or so, and that in part reflects a number of changes, which I do not have time to go into currently. But I would make the point that most of them are from people who arrived lawfully—people who came in lawfully and then sought protection. They are not people who arrived unauthorised. They are people who arrived with a passport and a visa. (Time expired)

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the minister doubts my figures, I am very happy to table page 94 of his own departmental annual report. My supplementary question No. 2 is: will the minister finally get his head out of the sand and admit that the government’s policies are actually encouraging more unauthorised arrivals by boat, encouraging massive increases in onshore asylum claims and encouraging people smugglers to continue their vile trade?

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

No, I do not accept the propositions put by Senator Fierravanti-Wells. Making wild allegations is no substitute for proper policy development. I understand Mr Andrews has been working away on that, among other things, but all we have seen from you in the way of policy development is the decision to return to failed temporary protection visas. I make the key point in relation to this particular slur: the majority of asylum applications made in this country onshore are made by people who arrive lawfully. They make that application while lawful in the community. They have them assessed. If they are not granted asylum, they are returned to their country of origin. That is the process that applied under the previous government. It is the one that applies under us. There has been no change to the way we deal with those people.