Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull yesterday committed the Coalition to bringing back temporary protection visas for asylum-seekers, but encountered strident criticism from the Labor Government, human rights groups and from within the Coalition itself.
The Government moved closer to a resolution of the stalemate over the 78 asylum-seekers aboard the Australian Customs vessel Oceanic Viking anchored off the Indonesian island of Bintan, after 22 people disembarked from the boat late yesterday and indicated the rest would follow.
They were then transported by ferry to a port in Tanjung Pinang and from there would be taken to an Australian-funded Indonesian detention centre where they will spend between one and three months.
''Our border protection policy is to stop the boats,'' Mr Turnbull said. ''We have done this before and we will do it again.''
Mr Turnbull outlined ''four core principles'' for the Coalition's border protection policy including using Christmas Island as the processing centre for all asylum-seekers arriving by boat and re-introducing a non-permanent visa for all unauthorised arrivals.
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