TPVs blamed for deaths of hundreds

The federal opposition has been urged to rethink its plan to restore temporary
protection visas (TPVs), with the policy having been blamed for the deaths of
hundreds of women and children.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland on Tuesday warned that the Howard government
policy had encouraged women and children to make the perilous journey by boat to
Australia to be reunited with family.
On October 18, 2001, the vessel known as SIEV X left Indonesia for Australia with
more than 400 people on board.
"The following day that vessel sunk on the high seas in international waters," Mr
McClelland told parliament on Tuesday.
The women and children were on the vessel, making the voyage in the hope of being
reunited with male family members who were in Australia on TPVs.
"On that night, on the 19th of October 2001, 146 children lost their lives, 142
women lost their lives, 62 men lost their lives," Mr McClelland said.
The opposition last month announced that, if it won power, it would reintroduce TPVs
as part of suite of measures to discourage people smuggling.
Mr McClelland said the reason there was a significantly greater proportion of women
and children on SIEV X was because of the Howard government's TPV policy.
"There is no doubt about that," he said.
"Those events more than anything should cause the opposition to review their policies."
The comments came after opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison suggested
Labor's border protection regime was responsible for more than 150 men, women and
children dying since 2008 while trying to reach Australia by boat.
"There is nothing humane ... about policies that encourage people to risk their
lives in the hands of people smugglers. People die on boats," Mr Morrison told
parliament.
"This is the inconvenient truth of the asylum seekers debate and the reality that
hundreds have perished at sea."
SIEV X was en route from Sumatra to Christmas Island carrying more than 400 asylum
seekers. It sank in international waters just south of the Indonesian island of
Java, killing 353 people.
Mr McClelland said the government was taking serious and strident measures to
discourage people smuggling.
"But Australians don't want to see women and children drowning on the high seas
trying to make contact with their partners who are here because family reunions have
been excluded under temporary protection visas," he said.
The SIEV X incident occurred during the 2001 federal election campaign when border
protection was a key issue.
Border protection is again set to feature heavily in the next election.
A poll released on Tuesday showed that most Australians (59 per cent) believe asylum
seekers arriving by boat should be allowed to stay in the country if found to be
genuine refugees.
The Essential Research poll of 1014 people found 31 per cent of Australians believe
people should be sent back regardless of whether or not they are found to be
refugees.