Australia says its relationship with Sri Lanka can be more broader
as a result of the efforts made by both countries to fight people smuggling.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said that both countries must apply the same focus and co-operation that they have achieved on people-smuggling to the broader challenge of transnational crime/
The Australian newspaper reported that the number of Sri Lankans who became Australian citizens jumped 74 per cent to 3456 last year, while there were 4987 Sri Lankans who came to Australia legally with visas for work and for family reunions.
Morrison said the last illegal boat carrying Sri Lankans was months ago and all 79 on board were sent back to Sri Lanka. The Immigration Minister said stopping the arrival of illegal boats during the past four months had allowed the government to increase the number of places for humanitarian migration from 500 under Labor to 4000 a year.
Mr. Morrison said co-operation with Sri Lanka was one of a series of policies that have helped the Abbott Government “stop the boats.” These included turning boats back to Indonesian waters, offshore processing in Papua New Guinea, temporary visas and moves by Indonesia and Malaysia to stop entry to their countries without visas.
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