Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

No wonder the people of Australia threw them out. I can also inform the House that not only have Operation Sovereign Borders policies been effective in respect of stopping vessels coming to Australia, but in addition we have had people deciding to go back. We have passed a critical threshold, where more people now under this government, since the commencement of Operation Sovereign Borders, have actually gone back than have come into Australia. More have gone back than have come into Australia under the policies of this government. There have been 1,111 arrivals that occurred in the first couple of months, but there have been 1,162 departures, be it voluntary or involuntary. That compares to over 50,000 people who turned up over the six years of the previous government and 1,600 or thereabouts departures.

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