Julia Gillard: Press Conference on Australia-Malaysia Transfer Arrangement
The Australian and Malaysian governments today signed a groundbreaking arrangement to combat people smuggling and provide protection to an additional 4,000 genuine refugees.
The arrangement demonstrates the resolve of Australia and Malaysia to break the people smugglers’ business model, stop them profiting from human misery, and stop people risking their lives at sea.
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, and Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs, Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin bin Tun Hussein, signed the arrangement documents at a formal ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today.
The arrangement provides for the transfer from Australia to Malaysia of up to 800 irregular maritime arrivals and formalises Australia’s commitment to accept 1,000 additional genuine refugees from Malaysia every year for the next four years. This increases Australia’s overall annual humanitarian intake to 14,750 places.
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