Australian PM presses ahead with asylum plan

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Monday revived a controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Malaysia after the high court ruled against the policy last month. Despite Julia Gillard’s approval ratings sliding to a new low, the Prime Minister is determined to press ahead with a plan she says offers the best answer to the issue of asylum seekers.

Last month Australia’s high court ruled against the government’s policy under which Australia planned to send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia where their refugee claims would be assessed in return for accepting 4,000 refugees from the country.

The court said in a statement that the agreement should be terminated because the rights of asylum seekers could not be guaranteed in Malaysia, which has not signed the United Nations Refugee Convention.

The decision, which was welcomed by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has left Canberra’s plan to stem an influx of people from poor, war-torn countries attempting to reach Australia by boat, in tatters.

And it doesn’t end there, the proposal to change the migration laws is likely to face stiff opposition from conservatives and the Australian Greens who support Gillard’s minority government as it goes through parliament. Listen to Lydia O'Kane's report here