Election 2016: More than 700 asylum seekers turned back over past three years

MORE than 700 asylum seekers on boats have been turned back to their homeland before they could reach Australia in the past three years.

The Daily Telegraph ­obtained a photograph of the Vietnamese boat that was intercepted by federal agencies en route to Australia last week.

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MORE than 700 asylum seekers on boats have been turned back to their homeland before they could reach Australia in the past three years.

The figure has highlighted how hard criminal people smuggling syndicates are trying to penetrate the Coalition’s hard-line border protection policy which has successfully stopped the boats for almost 700 days.

The Daily Telegraph ­obtained a photograph of the Vietnamese boat that was intercepted by federal agencies en route to Australia last week.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday launched the strongest attack of the election campaign so far on Labor’s weakening border protection measures.

“Let me be quite clear about this. The people smugglers will continue to test our resolve,’’ Mr Turnbull said.

PM Turnbull said 734 asylum seekers had been turned around by federal agencies. Photo: Jerad Williams

“The challenge of people smuggling is greater than it has ever been. The only thing that stops them, is the steely resolve of my government to turn those boats back.”

Mr Turnbull said 734 asylum seekers had been turned around by federal agencies since the Coalition launched Operation Sovereign Borders.

“There are 734 passengers that have been returned and they are still trying to test us. Imagine what they will do to a Labor government?”

Labor leader Bill Shorten’s border protection policy is ­almost in tatters after another MP and one candidate publicly opposed turnbacks, leaving well over 50 in his party against the successful policy.

Victorian MP Lisa Chesters said she will “continue to advocate” against turnbacks and offshore detention, while Victorian candidate Pail Klisaris said the nation would one day apologise for its treatment of refugees in a similar manner to the Stolen Generation.

Bill Shorten insists boat arrivals wouldn’t increase under a Labor government. Picture Kym Smith

Border protection domina-ted election debate yesterday after The Daily Telegraph ­reported a boat, carrying 20 people from Vietnam, had been successfully turned around during the campaign.

Mr Turnbull said the push by people smugglers showed why no aspect of the policy can change. He said the failed ­attempts showed boats would come faster than ever before if there was a weakening.

More than 50,000 people on 800 boats arrived illegally during the six years of Labor government. About 1200 ­people died at sea.

Mr Shorten insisted boat ­arrivals would not increase under a Shorten government.

“I had the courage to take this issue to the national conference last year. I said we will turn back boats,’’ he said.