Reintroduction of The Pacific Solution
In August 2012, a government-appointed expert panel recommended a number of changes to the current policy including the reintroduction of the Pacific Solution after a surge in boat people and deaths at sea. This is expected to cost A$2 billion over four years for Nauru and $900 million for Papua New Guinea.
The bill to do so was passed on 16 August 2012. Asylum seekers who arrive by boat to Australia are now to be transferred to remote Pacific islands indefinitely while their claims to refugee status are being processed.
The Labor Government announced on 21 November 2012 that they were recommencing onshore processing with bridging visa's, causing confusion as to their position on offshore processing. Labor also announced it was re-opening the Pontville Detention Centre despite previously promising that the detention centre would only be opened temporarily.
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