The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 102 people on board, means 794 people have arrived on boats so far this month, making this the busiest December for illegal boat arrivals on record and it is still less than half way through, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“People smugglers have reacted to the Government’s embrace of the Greens policies of onshore release... by sending a record number of people by boat,” Mr Morrison said.

“This summer is shaping as the busiest ever for people smugglers. This is particularly distressing given this is the most dangerous time of the year to be getting on a boat for the perilous journey to Australia,” he said.

“Since Minister Bowen adopted the Greens policy for on shore release, 11 boats and over 900 people have arrived. People smugglers have had their product supercharged by Labor’s capitulation to the Greens and they are maximising their profits.

“This is a government that never learns from their mistakes. Failed policy after failed policy on illegal boats has been followed by a complete surrender to Bob Brown.

“Christmas Island is once again over capacity and yet again detention centres across the country will also fill up as the increased arrivals crowd out the government’s community release program. This same dangerous situation combined with Minister Bowen’s failure to address the problem saw riots occur in our detention network earlier this year.

“A week ago there were 359 places left on Christmas Island. Since then, 440 people have turned up, and more are on their way.

“In evidence to the Coalition’s Parliamentary Inquiry into our Detention network, the Department of Immigration confirmed that at the close of business on December 7 there were just 253 places left at the detention centre on Christmas Island. This included one of the compounds they had shut down after the riots and have now had to reopen.

“A further 106 places for children and families were still available in alternative places of detention at Phosphate Hill and Construction Camp. The Department confirmed that this did not take into account 197 people who had already been intercepted but had not arrived at Christmas Island. Since then another 234 people have arrived.

“To relieve the pressure, Labor’s ‘Asylum Airline’ will once again be in the sky, transferring people to the mainland costing taxpayers millions in charter costs,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “On the day that new Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare is due to be sworn in, another large illegal boat has arrived on our shores, showing just how confident the people smugglers are in this Labor Government keeping them in business.

“In the midst of this border protection crisis which has long spiralled out of control, the new Minister must not waste any time in fixing the mess that his predecessor Brendan O’Connor has left behind.

“New Minister Clare needs to reassess the debilitating impact the budgetary cuts to Customs have had on the operational capabilities of Border Protection Command and their ability to intercept illegal boats at such a high tempo.

“Given the high rate of boat arrivals, the new Minister should look at reinstating the $35 million in cuts to Customs announced in this year’s MYEFO and give the support and resources necessary to Border Protection Command so they can continue to mop up this Government’s border protection mess,” Mr Keenan said.