Australia looks to tighten borders

It has been more than six months since people-smugglers have attempted to breach Australian borders

CANBERRA, Australia (CNN) -- The Australian government is attempting to further bolster its borders against illegal immigrants amid reports more boatloads of asylum seekers are on their way.

The conservative coalition government of John Howard wants to include thousands of islands off the Australian mainland's northern coastline in a "migration exclusion" zone.

This would mean asylum seekers who landed there would not be able to apply for refugee protection visas.

Two Australian island territories -- Christmas Island and the Cocos Island -- are already included in a migration exclusion zone.

Australia has implemented a zero-tolerance policy against boat-people since August last year following an international incident when it turned away a Norwegian freighter carrying rescued asylum-seekers.

The stance of intercepting boats and shipping asylum seekers to detention camps on the Pacific island of Nauru or Manus island in Papua New Guinea has proved effective, with no boats arriving since last November.

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But the government is now warning it has Indonesian intelligence reports that new boatloads of asylum seekers could be on the way, spurring the need for extending the migration exclusion zone.

"We have evidence that there could be some further attempts and that is why we wish to bring about these further excisions from the migration zone," Prime Minister Howard said at the weekend.

The move, however, requires the support of the main opposition Labor Party to become law, something which is not necessarily assured despite Labor's support for the earlier exclusion zone.

'Dangerous decision'

Howard said if the Labor Party blocked the move, it would send a message to people smugglers that Australia had started to go soft.

"Up until now we have presented a united solid determined front and it has worked and it will be the first faltering in that united determined front that we have presented," Howard said.

But Labor Leader Simon Crean said he is strongly inclined to oppose the legislation, saying the government was running a fear campaign.

"This decision by the Government is a dangerous decision. It's an invitation for illegal boats to head to the Australian mainland," he said.

"We need a sensible approach to protecting our borders. This decision of the Government seems to make no sense and in the absence of explanation by the Government as to why we need it, one can only question their motives," Crean said.

Meanwhile, a row has broken out between Australia and Nauru over asylum seekers being held in detention on the tiny Pacific island.

Claims disputed

Australia has been sending asylum seekers to Nauru as part of its so-called 'Pacific solution'

Nauru President Rene Harris says it was told the asylum seekers sent there by Australia would be processed by May 31, but so far only about one third of the detainees have had their fate decided.

About 700 detainees still remain on Nauru, with Harris complaining he has been kept in the dark by Australia about the situation.

"I've got Parliament due on Thursday and it would be nice if I could tell them something... but I have not much to say," Harris told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

Harris also claimed Australia had not kept a promise to provide Nauru with $17 million in goods and services in return for agreeing to house the detainees.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, however, has disputed these claims.

"We've done our best to keep in touch. As a matter of fact, in the last month or so we've had quite a lot of contact with them," he said.

"We've fulfilled our obligations to them ... we're very grateful to Nauru for the assistance they've provided."