Labor was warned on asylum risks

The Albanese government was warned that scrapping temporary protection visas would weaken Operation Sovereign Borders.

Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The Albanese government was warned that scrapping temporary protection visas would weaken ­Operation Sovereign Borders because “changes to any single element (of the operation) … may result in a weakening of the overall denial and deterrence effects”.

The advice was contained in the incoming government brief prepared by the Department of Home Affairs, which found that “Temporary Protection (subclass 785) Visas (TPVs)” were a complementary policy measure that supported ­Operation Sovereign Borders.

The Australian revealed on Monday that the government was bracing for a potential surge in asylum-seeker boats as it fulfilled its election pledge to end the use of TPVs, paving the way for about 19,000 refugees who arrived by sea to stay permanently in Australia.

By Monday, news of the policy change had already begun to pique the interest of people smuggling networks in Asia, with one operator in Sri Lanka telling The Australian he would be speaking with contacts in Australia about a potential new asylum voyage.

Hemantha Nonis (not his real name) said he was interested in organising more boats but only for a minimum $2000 per passage.

“It is very risky right now and with the present economic situation most people don’t have the money to pay,” he said. “I can’t take such a big risk for just a pittance.”

TPV holders will soon be offered new Resolution of Status visas that will come with social security rights, higher education support and access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, along with ongoing Medicare cover and mental health support.

But according to the incoming government brief, TPVs were a vital pillar in the Operation Sovereign Borders framework that virtually ended people smuggling to Australia.

“The key strength of the OSB model is that all elements working together collectively contribute to Australia’s ability to maintain strong denial and deterrence effects against maritime people smuggling,” the brief read.

“Changes to any single element of OSB, without effective mitigation, may result in a weakening of the overall denial and deterrence effects delivered by the operation.”

Under questioning in a Senate estimates hearing on Monday, Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo stood by his department’s ­advice to the incoming Labor administration that such a move, “without effective mitigation”, would undermine Australia’s border protection system.

“The government I can assure you has listened to advice and has put in place the appropriate mitigants,” he said, in answer to Labor senator Nita Green.

“So the short answer to your question about whether the government’s acted contrary to advice? I would say ‘no’.”

Mr Pezzullo also issued an apology over his department’s “regrettable, significant” failure to renew a legislative instrument designating Nauru as a regional processing country, leaving the country exposed over summer with an uncertain offshore processing option.

Mr Pezzullo said Home Affairs “failed to monitor and track” the lapsing of the arrangement, which he said “should not have occurred”.

The lapsed designation was not picked up by the department until December 15.