"This will enable the Government to deal with the backlog of 30,000 people who came to Australia illegally by boat under Labor. These people, if they're found to be refugees, will receive Temporary Protection Visas which means that no one coming to Australia illegally by boat can expect to get permanent residency," Abbott said at the press conference.
Previously all asylum seekers coming to Australia by boat were detained at offshore processing camps in Nauru and Papua New Guinea (PNG) until their refugee status was processed. Those who were deemed to be refugees were settled in special facilities in PNG.
"The boats have all but stopped and last night in the Senate, in what was a big win for our country, the Senate supported the reintroduction of Temporary Protection Visas. We always said that three things were necessary to stop the boats – offshore processing, turning boats around and Temporary Protection Visas – and last night, the final piece of policy was put in place," Abbott added.
The Parliament has also decided to release children seeking asylum from detention at the offshore processing camps.
Over 20,000 asylum seekers arrived to the country by boat in 2013, according to the Refugee Council of Australia. Most of the asylum seekers originating from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Sri-Lanka traveled to Australia via Indonesia. Data released by Amnesty International from November 2014, estimates that over 2,000 asylum seekers have been waiting in Australia's offshore center in PNG for their refugee status to be processed since 2012. The first group of people being held at the Australian detention center on the Manus Islands, PNG was granted refugee status in November.
