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January 30, 2012 – A new stalemate on asylum Australia migration seeker policy!

Both the Australian Government and the Opposition are currently on a deadlock on the asylum seeker immigration to Australia policy.

Since both sides began its talks about brokering a deal in allowing the off-shore Australian migration processing of asylum seekers before Christmas, they have come just recently to blaming each other for the failure of the latest discussions about offshore migration to Australia processing.

The Coalition’s policy of reopening the detention centre on Nauru was criticized by the Australian government as it released new details showing that the measure would cost far more than what was previously estimated.

According to Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, his department has revised the costing after a visit to Nauru earlier this month and found out that reopening Nauru would cost almost $1 billion over the forward estimates of $US979 million. It has now been increased to $1.7 billion over the forward estimates. This $1.7 billion is for the detention centre that could cater for 750 people.

Moreover, as also advised by the Immigration Australia Department, the detention center would take at least three months for it to get ready for new arrivals.

However, Scott Morrison, the Opposition’s immigration spokesman, stated that the figures are “absolutely ridiculous” and suggested that it would only cost $500,000 per person per year.

Morrison further stated that the Australia immigration department had just simply sought to trash the Nauru option and they should release the full line-by-line costing of the center.

The said new costing was released in a letter from Mr. Bowen to Mr. Morrison, with both releasing previously confidential correspondence exchanged since talks began in December.

Following the deaths of 200 asylum seekers off the coast of Indonesia late last year, both had been meeting in a bid to broker a deal to resume offshore Australian visas processing, which had ended in hostility, as predicted by many observers.

One should take note that the Australia’s Government and Opposition had begun talks to broker a deal to allow the off-shore Australian visa application processing of asylum seekers before Christmas.

source:
radioaustralianews.net.au