An Australian-based migration agent and human rights advocate says the country's new immigration policy with Papua New Guinea could stem the flow of boat arrivals.
Australia and PNG announced on Friday that all boat people headed for Australia who are subsequently found to be genuine refugees will be resettled in PNG.
Marion Le says she has never supported people arriving by boat because of the dangers posed to them and believes asylum seekers should be safely processed in Indonesia or Malaysia to prevent them from making the boat journey.
She says Australia had to do something to prevent more boat arrivals and believes the policy could work.
"If we can stop the boats but also begin to really assess people or bring in some of the forty thousand people who are waiting in Indonesia who are UNHCR recognised refugees, if in Australia we can say okay we will take you know, say ten thousand of those people over the next two or three years, I think we can manage the situation much better than has been happening in the last few years here. It's been deplorable."
Marion Le says she has heard a report that warnings about the new policy have already put off some Afghan people from getting on a boat to Australia.
