Having chalked up a runaway record for the biggest influx of asylum seekers in Australian history, the federal government insists it is making inroads into border protection.

As the largest annual tally of asylum seekers ended yesterday - 277 boats carrying more than 17,000 people arrived in 2012 - Immigration Minister Chris Bowen's office said the government was only "partly committed" because the Houston expert panel's most controversial recommendation had not been fulfilled.

The government insists it has kick-started the panel's main tangible recommendations, including lifting the humanitarian intake and restarting offshore processing.

However, the moves triggered a massive spike in boat arrivals in August as people smugglers pushed ahead.

November was the biggest month on record with 43 boats carrying 2629 aboard intercepted by authorities.

But the government yesterday pointed to the up to 1000 Sri Lankans who have returned home after arriving in recent months as a sign the measures were working.

"It is important to remember that these policies have only been in place for a few months, and they must be allowed to work and have an impact," Mr Bowen's spokesman said.

"People smugglers will continue to test the government's resolve, and while we believe we're starting to make inroads, it is early days yet."

The opposition yesterday labelled the reopening of Nauru "half-hearted" without the full suite of Howard-era measures such as temporary protection visas and turning boats back.

But acting opposition immigration spokesman Michael Keenan would not respond to questions about the Coalition's responsibilities.

He said more boats had arrived in 2012 than 12 years of the Howard government.

"Every time Labor has reached another shameful milestone in their border protection crisis they have chosen the path of least resistance rather than implementing the full suite of Coalition policies that would stop the boats from coming," he said.

Mr Bowen's spokesman said the Malaysia deal to swap 800 asylum seekers for 4000 refugees - opposed by the Greens and the Coalition, and therefore unlikely unless Labor wins the next election - was the key.

"The government is the only party committed to doing everything it can to stop the flow of boats," he said.

"As the members of the expert panel have said, real results will begin to show as more of the recommendations can be implemented - including the Malaysia Arrangement."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/year-of-an-invasion-by-sea/story-e6freuy9-...


More than 17,000 people on nearly 300 boats. That's almost a boat a day, or nearly 50 people every day coming by boat. Nothing Labor has tried has worked and now they have a budget blowout on this issue, with it costing us well over $1bn a year, as opposed to the less than $100m per year under Howard's Pacific Solution. This has got to be the biggest policy failure of any government in our history, and it's all because Rudd wanted to be seen as being more "humanitarian". What a farce.

adelcrow wrote on Jan 1^st, 2013 at 6:56am:


Yeah, I'm sure you really truly believe that too. What a dope!

adelcrow wrote on Jan 1^st, 2013 at 7:46am:


How'd you get from illegal immigrants to recession??? Did you forget to screw your head on this morning?

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jan 1^st, 2013 at 7:51am:



AP this is the modus operandi of the left in the next 10 months - MAKE A STATEMENT

it does not have to be true - just make a statement

this is the type of politics the left will engage in leading up to the next election

a red-headed pig wearing lipstick is still a pig and this pig will fling mud and crap like you've not seen before

adelcrow wrote on Jan 1^st, 2013 at 8:10am:



WHY?

Rudd, Gillard, Swan and Tanner got in without being a Minister so Abbott's already ahead with his achievements by being the Minister

Maqqa wrote on Jan 1^st, 2013 at 8:13am:



I would think that he is already behind by being a failure as a minister.

Maqqa wrote on Jan 1^st, 2013 at 8:16am:


A large percentage of his actions and performance of course.