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

The government remains committed to a fair and orderly immigration system. That includes the management of unauthorised arrivals. It has been this government's very strong intention to try to get an arrangement in place with Malaysia which allows for the return of unauthorised boat arrivals to Malaysia for processing there. The agreement we struck with the Malaysian government was, we thought, the best way of discouraging people who were seeking asylum in a country of first asylum from seeking to move again. We sought to negotiate that arrangement with Malaysia within the broader framework of the Bali process and the regional responses which we know are essential to finding long-term solutions to movement within the region.