Aussie Prime Minister Julia Gillard did not have enough backing to change the migration laws to allow the refugee swap.
CANBERRA: Australia’s prime minister has scrapped a plan to send asylum seekers to Malaysia.
The move keeps her fragile government from becoming the first in 82 years to have legislation rejected by Parliament’s lower chamber.
Julia Gillard had vowed to put legislation to a vote on Thursday that would enable her government to send asylum seekers to Malaysia in return for Australia resettling registered refugees from Kuala Lumpur.
Gillard says she canceled the vote because a nonaligned lawmaker doomed it to failure by declaring his opposition. Gillard’s minority government holds a single-seat majority in the lower chamber.
“We are not in a position to implement the arrangement with Malaysia,” Gillard told reporters, adding her government continued to support the plan. “It is apparent the legislation will not pass the parliament.”
It is Gillard’s second failure to secure an offshore asylum processing centre. This year, Gillard announced that East Timor would host a centre, but failed to gain East Timor government support for the plan.
Gillard had hoped the swap deal would stem the tide of asylum seekers making the dangerous journey by boat to Australia.
Gillard announced details of the refugee deal with Malaysia in July under a policy designed to deter people smugglers and asylum seekers from sailing to Australia in leaky boats, mainly through Indonesia.
However, the deal, which would have seen Australia send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia and accept 4,000 refugees in Malaysia, was ruled invalid by Australia’s High Court because Malaysia has not signed the UN refugee convention. – Agencies
CANBERRA: Australia’s prime minister has scrapped a plan to send asylum seekers to Malaysia.The move keeps her fragile government from becoming the first in 82 years to have legislation rejected by Parliament’s lower chamber.
Julia Gillard had vowed to put legislation to a vote on Thursday that would enable her government to send asylum seekers to Malaysia in return for Australia resettling registered refugees from Kuala Lumpur.
Gillard says she canceled the vote because a nonaligned lawmaker doomed it to failure by declaring his opposition. Gillard’s minority government holds a single-seat majority in the lower chamber.
“We are not in a position to implement the arrangement with Malaysia,” Gillard told reporters, adding her government continued to support the plan. “It is apparent the legislation will not pass the parliament.”
It is Gillard’s second failure to secure an offshore asylum processing centre. This year, Gillard announced that East Timor would host a centre, but failed to gain East Timor government support for the plan.
Gillard had hoped the swap deal would stem the tide of asylum seekers making the dangerous journey by boat to Australia.
Gillard announced details of the refugee deal with Malaysia in July under a policy designed to deter people smugglers and asylum seekers from sailing to Australia in leaky boats, mainly through Indonesia.
However, the deal, which would have seen Australia send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia and accept 4,000 refugees in Malaysia, was ruled invalid by Australia’s High Court because Malaysia has not signed the UN refugee convention. – Agencies
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