YouTube: Kevin Rudd's video address on new asylum seeker plan
Photo: Asylum seekers at the Manus Island immigration detention centre in Papua New Guinea last year. (Supplied: Immigration Department, file photo)
Related Story: Australia shuts door on asylum seekers
Photo: The Federal Government's advertisement warns asylum seekers that they will not be resettled in Australia. (ABC News)
The Federal Government is running advertisements in newspapers across the country in an attempt to promote its new plan to discourage asylum seeker boats coming to Australia.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday confirmed a deal that will see asylum seekers sent to Papua New Guinea for assessment and - if they are found to be refugees - resettlement.
The plan, which Mr Rudd jointly announced with PNG's prime minister Peter O'Neill in Brisbane, will be backed up by an advertising blitz at home and in the region.
Advertisements are running in newspapers across the country today and the ABC understands the ads will also be placed in papers in the region.
Two radio advertisements have also been produced, telling asylum seekers that "the people smugglers' guarantee is worthless" and warning them that they are "buying a ticket to another country".
Key points
- Asylum seekers who arrive by boat will never be settled in Australia
- They will be sent to Manus Island or elsewhere in PNG for assessment
- Genuine refugees will be resettled in PNG
- The agreement will be in place for at least the next 12 months
- There will be no cap on the number of refugees to be settled in PNG
- Manus Island detention centre to be expanded to house 3,000, up from its original capacity of 600
Mr Rudd has also released a video address with a stern message for people smugglers.
"Your business model is over," he said.
"People who come by boat now have no prospect of being resettled in Australia. The rules have changed."
Mr Rudd says the new deal, which could face legal challenges, may not stop people coming to Australia in boats.
"Nobody should expect the boats to stop tomorrow. In fact, the people smugglers will now try to test our resolve," he said.
The deal marks a dramatic reversal of the asylum seeker policies put in place by Mr Rudd when he first became prime minister in 2007.
Labor MP Doug Cameron, who previously called for asylum seekers to be taken off Manus Island, says he supports the new deal.
"I think it's consistent with the refugees convention," he said.
"I also believe it's consistent with all of the arguments that have been put forward over many years to get a regional framework and I congratulate PNG for taking the step to provide support for this regional framework."
The Coalition has welcomed the deal but is demanding to know more details such as how much it will cost and how long it would take to build up the capacity at Manus Island.
Photo: The Federal Government's advertisement warns asylum seekers that they will not be resettled in Australia. (ABC News)
Smuggler says policy bad for business, worse for asylum seekers
Meanwhile, a people smuggler has told the ABC that the deal with Papua New Guinea is a short-term threat to his business but is worse for asylum seekers.
The people smuggling contact, who has been providing information to the ABC for a number of months and spoke on condition of anonymity, says the new policy is a surprise.
He says it will make it difficult to launch boats to Australia for now, but that smugglers have already made enough money, so they will survive.
The smuggler is an asylum seeker himself and says the biggest concern is that oppressed people now have less options for seeking asylum.
He says by shutting off options for people facing death, it will force them to get involved in conflict, further inflaming the situation in the Middle East.
Iranian refugee says PNG deal won't stop people seeking asylum
An Iranian man on a bridging visa says many of his countrymen are still facing persecution and will continue to seek asylum.
The man, who doesn't want to be identified, says he came to Australia by boat after fleeing Iranian authorities who detained and tortured him because his brother was critical of the government.
"For some people who have real problems it doesn't matter they just want to be safe," he said.
"They prefer to go anywhere other. They prefer to stay safe in other countries."
He says information about the new policy might not reach some asylum seekers.
"They keep people in an environment that we are not allowed to have mobile phones, we're not able to follow the news. And they already got money from people. They don't care about people they just care about money."
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