Labor Govt Opens Door for 19,000 Asylum-Seekers to Apply for Permanent Residency

Sri Lankan asylum seekers after their boat broke down in Indonesia. They were on the way to Australia's Christmas Island. Oscar Siagian/Getty Images

More than 19,000 asylum seekers have been given the go-ahead to apply for permanent residency in Australia by the Labor government.

In a statement, the Australian immigration minister said the country “owed” asylum seekers protection, but at the same time, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil issued a warning to people smugglers.