19 Dec 2010

Political stoush over asylum seeker policy after tragedy

10:12 pm on 19 December 2010

Australia's Government and opposition have begun trading blows over asylum seeker policy after the Christmas Island shipwreck tragedy.

So far 30 bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying up to 100 people broke up and sank in rough seas off Christmas Island on Wednesday.

The search for the dead has been hampered by strong currents which have carried debris some distance away.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the "unspeakable horror" may have been avoided if there was a tougher regime in place reports the ABC.

He says the Howard government managed to "stop the boats" and says its asylum seeker policies should be re-introduced.

Mr Abbott called for the Nauru detention centre to be re-opened and for boats carrying asylum seekers to be turned back in cases where it is safe to do so.

But Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has dismissed the calls for change.

He says the so-called Pacific solution, involving processing asylum seekers at Nauru, does not work.

"At Nauru, 90% of people processed ended up at Australia and New Zealand," he said.

"So people smugglers and asylum seekers know that.

"They know that an offshore processing centre in the absence of a regional and international framework is no disincentive for people coming to Australia."

Mr Bowen says the Government has a different approach and is trying to strike an international agreement to deal with asylum seekers.

Many of the men, women and children who died were from Iraq and some of those people had family members already living in Australia.

The Federal Government is flying in counsellors to help both the rescuers and the 42 asylum seekers who survived.

The Australian Federal Police say they may know as early as Monday how many people are still missing.

A memorial service was planned for Christmas Island's three detention centres on Sunday for those affected by the tragedy.