A ship loaded with asylum seekers intercepted by the Australian Border Force near Christmas Island on election day has now been returned to Sri Lanka.
Key points:
- Asylum seekers who arrived in Australia by boat on election day have been returned to Sri Lanka
- The new Labor government says the policy of asylum seekers has not changed
- A massive text sent by the Liberal Party capitalizing on the arrival is being investigated
The commander of Operation Sovereign Borders, Rear Admiral Justin Jones, said a thorough examination of each individual’s state of health and protection was completed before the group was recovered.
“The direction for me, by the incumbent Prime Minister, was clear: this government remains committed to Operation Sovereign Borders and to the protection of lives at sea,” it said in a statement.
Border Force released details of the intercepted vessel on election day and the Liberal Party used the information to try to win last-minute votes.
He texted Australians in marginal seats saying, “Gnawing: The Australian Border Force has intercepted an illegal ship trying to reach Australia. Keep our borders safe by voting liberal today.”
The text sent by the Liberal Party to voters on election day. (ABC News: supplied)
Finally, voters did not support the Liberal Party and asylum seekers intercepted on Saturday were returned, despite warnings from then-Home Secretary Karen Andrews that a Labor government could not control its borders. Australia.
“These companies make it very clear what a risk a Labor government poses to our national security,” he said on Saturday.
“It’s not scary, it’s a reality, and the two attempts we have have proven it.”
Rear Admiral Justin Jones said Australia’s policy on the illegal arrival of ships has not changed since Labor formed a government.
“We will intercept any ship wishing to arrive in Australia illegally and return safely those on board to their point of departure or country of origin, or if it is not safe to do so, they will be transferred to regional processing. “, he said.
Throughout the election campaign, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned voters that a Labor party would cause ships to start again, in reference to Labor’s previous opposition to ship returns.
But incumbent Prime Minister Richard Marles said the implementation of Operation Sovereign Borders two days after a Labor government made clear the party’s current position.
“This is our position since 2015, this is the third election we have taken and I was very clear in my mind that this is exactly what we would do in this situation and we have done it,” he told Sky. News. .
Green Immigration spokesman Sen. Nick McKim said he was disappointed with Labor’s actions.
“Australians voted for change and deserve much better than a shameful continuation of Scott Morrison’s brutal policy,” he said.
“Returning people to danger and persecution is unnecessary, ineffective, inhumane and contrary to international law.”
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Research on text messages that “made the country less secure”
Questions have been raised about the ABF’s decision to release details about the ship on election day, which were later used by the Liberal Party for political purposes.
Marles said it was unacceptable.
“The circumstances in which the former government issued a press release on election day were a disgrace, this should never have been in the public domain,” he told Sky News.
“The texts that were sent by the Liberal Party at the time made our country less secure, made our borders less secure.”
The government has now asked Interior Secretary Michael Pezzullo to report on the circumstances surrounding the decision to issue the statement to the media on election day.
“It wasn’t a routine, it’s issues that shouldn’t have ended up in the public domain,” Marles said.
“What is really clear is that the former Liberal government was much more interested in its own political interests than in the national interest,” he said.
The Coalition established Operation Sovereign Borders in 2013, but sometimes the then government refused to disclose details about the intercepted vessels.
When he was immigration minister, Scott Morrison was often asked for information, but he did not talk about what he called “water issues.”
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Posted 15 hours, 15 hours ago, Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 6:47 AM, updated 11 hours ago, 11 hours ago, Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 11:19 AM