Australia's border protection policies under the spotlight

PHOTO

A boat carries suspected asylum seekers off Christmas Island in July. [Australian Government]

VIDEO from Australia Network News

Border protection

Created: 13/10/2009

Last Updated: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:23:00 +1100

Australia's prime minister has been forced to defend his government's border protection policies at home.

Over the past six weeks nearly 700 asylum seekers have been intercepted in Australian waters.

They have been ferried to a detention facility on Christmas Island, which is almost full.

The Opposition's immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone says the government has gone soft on people smuggling and moves to expand the Christmas Island detention centre are a bandaid measure.

"Quite simply this is not good enough, lining ambulances at the bottom of the cliff," she said.

"They've got to stop the boat business coming."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the Opposition has offered no policy alternatives.

"We believe we have got the balance right in a hard line approach," he said.

The Greens say the Christmas Island facility should be abandoned and asylum seekers brought to the mainland to have their cases heard.

Detention centre takes the strain

The number of asylum seekers arriving on Christmas Island has forced Australia's government to bring in hundreds of extra bunk beds.

More than 1,000 people are being held on Christmas Island and 56 more are on their way there.

The island's detention centre is nearing its capacity of 1,200 detainees.

Australia's Immigration Minister, Chris Evans, says he has a plan to cope with any further arrivals.

Two hundred extra bunk beds are being set up in parts of the detention centre that had been set aside for recreation.

There are also plans to hire portable lavatories if numbers increase.

The government says adult men could also be held at a 500-bed detention centre in the northwest Australian city of Darwin.