Mr. Rintoul is calling for a new system of offshore processing for asylum seekers coming through from Indonesia and Malaysia. It is from these countries that many undergo dangerous boat journeys to Australia, often organized by people smugglers.
"If the government was really concerned about the safety of asylum seekers they would be processing people in Indonesia—not forcing them to use people smugglers," he said.
Mr. Rintoul’s calls follow an incident in July when a boat with 74 Afghans became lost off the coast of Indonesia after contacting Australian and Indonesian police to say they were in distress. They are now believed to be safe, though the exact whereabouts of the refugees are presently unknown.
The Rudd government currently has agreements with Indonesia with a view to stop the flow of refugees through the region to Australia. The agreements allow Australian federal police to track people smugglers in Indonesia, pay for Indonesian patrol vessels, and provide financial assistance for the training of Indonesian border authorities.
Former Australian Democrat, Andrew Bartlett, says it makes sense for Australia to support Indonesia in dealing with asylum seekers. He supports funding assessment procedures there but warns that processing claims in Indonesia will only be effective if refugees receive a genuine hearing in the Indonesian-based assessment offices.
“This will only work if realistic opportunities for resettlement are provided,” he said, “If Australia still refuses to take any, or only small numbers, of people found to be refugees in Indonesia, then all we are doing is paying money to warehouse refugees somewhere else.”
More controversially, Ian Rintoul says the government has also financed the building of detention centers for refugees from which many refugees are being sent back without their status being officially assessed. If that money was used to process visa applications in Indonesia itself, Mr. Rintoul believes, refugees would have no reason to make the dangerous journey across the water.
Mr. Rintoul has accused the government of treating the cases of refugees arriving by boat differently than those of people arriving via plane. He says boat people usually turn out to be the more deserving cases, as they are people that most often face genuine persecution in their countries.
Most of the asylum seekers coming to Australia are genuine refugees, he said. Cracking down on refugees in Indonesia however, makes many refugees wary of claiming refugee status even if they are eligible for it.
“The government recognizes that asylum seekers are being pushed by the instability in Sri Lanka and Pakistan but they are putting obstacles in the way of people who need protection,” he said, “Asylum seekers have become fearful that they will never get protection.
“The Australian government policy is making it more likely that people will use unsafe and ill-equipped boats to get to Australia,” Mr. Rintoul said.
Australia reportedly provides $18 million a year directly to the Indonesian government to improve migration management and border security in Indonesia.
