September 3, 2024
A boat carrying 74 potential asylum seekers was turned back by Border Force officials last month, bringing the total number of vessels making the journey to Australia under Labor to 20.
The Coalition has blamed the "chronic degradation" of the Australian Border Force's surveillance capabilities for the illegal arrivals, while Labor has vowed to continue turning back boats.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the ABF's latest Operation Sovereign Border report for July marked a "grim milestone" for the Albanese government.
"There have now been 20 illegal ventures carrying more than 450 people that have made the journey to Australia since the 2022 election," Senator Paterson said.
"At least three of these ventures dropped their passengers on Australian territory before departing undetected - something virtually unheard of under the previous Coalition government." The ABF report confirmed Australian authorities safely turned back a boat carrying 74 "potential irregular immigrants and crew to their country of departure" in July.
Senator Paterson said it was the "largest cohort" of people on a single boat in more than two years.
"This is a clear indication of the increasing boldness of the people smuggler operators who are profiting from Labor's weakness on border security," he said.
"These numbers are deeply concerning but not surprising." Senator Paterson blamed a drop in ABF surveillance, including a 22 per cent decrease in flying hours and a 12 per cent drop in maritime patrol days compared to under the former Coalition government.
He also called for the reinstatement of temporary protection visas.
But Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended the government's record on boat arrivals since 2022.
"We said we'd turn back the boats and that's exactly what's happening," he said.
"There are only three sorts of people who seem to think turning back boats is a bad thing: Liberals, Nationals and people smugglers." An ABF spokeswoman said the current border protection policies meant "no one who travels to Australia by boat without a valid visa will ever be allowed to settle permanently".
"Australian authorities will continue to detect and intercept anyone who attempts an irregular boat voyage to Australia and return them to their country of departure or origin, where it is safe to do so," she said.
Labor has provided an additional $123.8m over two years to "maintain and enhance" Australia's civil maritime security capabilities, which includes $71.2m to increase the ABF's on-water response and aerial surveillance and $52.6m to address the border and biosecurity threat from illegal fishing activities.
