<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/08/australian-government-border-protection-stats-boats-turned-back>
"The Albanese government turned vessels back or returned asylum seekers aboard
them on seven occasions in its first nine months in office, quietly continuing
the Coalition’s Operation Sovereign Borders policy.
New details of the ventures to Australia reveal that almost 200 people,
including 14 children, have attempted to come by boat since Labor’s election in
May 2022.
Labor has faced more than twice as many boats a year than attempted to come to
Australia in each of the final years of the Coalition, which – despite its
boast of having “stopped the boats” – turned or took back two to three vessels
a year from 2016-17 to 2019-20.
The Albanese government has abolished temporary protection visas, but otherwise
kept the core pillars of Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB). These include
offshore detention, turnbacks – in which vessels returned to just outside the
territorial seas of the country of departure – and takebacks, where Australia
sends asylum seekers back by plane or through an at-sea transfer.
According to answers to questions on notice, seven boats attempted to come to
Australia in the nine months to 31 March 2023, including one with 15 adults
reportedly flown back to Sri Lanka just days after Labor took office.
Many of the other six ventures have never been reported, including three more
takebacks in June 2022, one with seven children and one with three children.
In August 2022, 46 men were taken back. Some 16 people were turned back in
December 2022, including four children. In January, 10 men were subject to a
turnback.
The answers do not specify the country of origin or where asylum seekers were
taken back to. Regular OSB updates reveal only the number of “unauthorised
maritime arrivals” but not the number of turnbacks or takebacks.
In October
Guardian Australia revealed 11 asylum seekers were taken to
offshore detention on Nauru, in what Border Force officials confirmed was the
first such transfer in nine years.
The Refugee Council said: “Australia’s policy of boat turnbacks is not only
dangerous and harmful but also unlawful under international law.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
