Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

While it is an emotive question, I will take the senator and the Senate back to the facts. We, at the request of the Indonesians, went out and saved people who were on a boat that was sinking. I do not think anyone has questioned that that was the appropriate thing to do, because the Indonesians said they could not get there quickly. As part of that process, we sought to take them to Indonesia in accordance with international law. They asked to be given asylum and be taken to Christmas Island. That request was refused. We said they would be taken to Indonesia and be processed in Indonesia when they disembarked. So they sought to hold us to their claim to be taken to Australia, which we rejected. They will be processed in Indonesia according to the normal UNHCR guidelines. They will be assessed against those guidelines and, if eligible for resettlement, they will be resettled. (Time expired)