Australia has announced it is boosting its annual refugee intake by 40 per cent. A recent inquiry into government policy on the issue recommended an increase from 13,750 to 20,000 refugees. It comes after Prime Minister Julia Gillard reintroduced offshore detention of boatpeople on Papua New Guinea’s remote Manus Island and Nauru in the Pacific. Canberra hopes the measures will deter asylum seekers from making the dangerous sea voyage. RFI spoke to Ian Rintoul from the Refugee Action Coalition in Australia about the initiatives.
