Australian officials detect increase in chatter from people smugglers who hope for a Labor election win

AUSTRALIAN officials in Indonesia have detected an increase in chatter from people smugglers advising asylum-seekers to be ready to take boats should Labor win the election.

People smugglers are watching the Australian election campaign closely and hope for a Labor win. Picture: AAP/Amnesty International

AUSTRALIAN officials and contacts in Indonesia have detected a sharp increase in chatter from people smugglers advising asylum-seekers to be ready to take boats should Labor win the election.

But a senior official said asylum-seekers, who have intimate knowledge of Australian politics and are following the election closely, would only start boarding vessels if the turn-backs policy was ended.

That is not part of Labor’s plan.

A senior official said asylum-seekers, who have intimate knowledge of Australian politics, would only start boarding vessels if the turn-backs policy was ended. Picture: AAP/Mick Tsikas

“There is increased talk that we’re aware of but we haven’t seen any increased activity because the asylum-seekers themselves are sceptical,” said the source.

“They’re watching and there is a lot of hope. The view is that after the election, they are looking for a change in the turn-back policy.”

An Iranian asylum-seeker who has been stranded in Indonesia since a failed boat journey in 2013 said the Australian election was a major talking point among his network.

“All of them are watching,” he said.

“They remember who was PM, and which one was good for them. Yes, they believe if Labor (wins) they can go by boat again.”

The Australian official said increased talk during the election period was expected and “playing out as we foresaw”, but potential passengers were too well-informed to pay upfront cash to smugglers.

“While there is a ready pool of people that could be prepared to move quickly if success could be proved, the smugglers can’t show success,” he said.

“The deterrence and turn-back framework is resonating.”

Comments from Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese, that Labor would look to Canada and others to take refugees from Manus Island and Nauru, were unlikely to start a rush to the boats.

The official said political discussions about resettlement to third countries did not interest asylum-seekers, who were hoping for stark policy divergence that could make their journey to Australia easier.

Originally published as Australian officials detect increase in chatter from people smugglers who hope for a Labor election win