New Operation Sovereign Borders commander Rear Admiral Justin Jones eyes people-smugglers

New Operation Sovereign Borders commander Rear Admiral Justin Jones says people-smugglers are an ongoing threat to Australia.

Rear Admiral Justin Jones says ‘while the maritime people-smuggling threat to Australia has been suppressed, it is not defeated’. Picture: Jamila Toderas

New Operation Sovereign Borders commander Rear Admiral Justin Jones says people-smugglers are an ongoing threat to Australia and the scourge of preying on vulnerable asylum-seekers is not yet “defeated”.

Admiral Jones will take command of Operation Sovereign Borders on Friday amid concerns people-smugglers are monitoring the upcoming election and any perceived or real changes to domestic border protection policies.

National security agencies have also flagged that thousands of individuals are seeking to travel illegally to Australia, and could be targeted by people-smuggling rings setting up new maritime ventures in response to a deteriorating geostrategic environment, including the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.

Admiral Jones, a senior Royal Australian Navy commander with more than 34 years’ experience, told The Australian that “while the maritime people-smuggling threat to Australia has been suppressed, it is not defeated”.

“Operation Sovereign Borders remains vigilant for any new attempts to test the integrity of our borders. We are also continuing to work closely with regional partners to reinforce deterrence and disruption efforts offshore, to counter maritime people-smugglers and their insidious business model at the source,” he said.

“I am committed to countering maritime people-smuggling and preventing deaths at sea.”

The changing of the guard at Operation Sovereign Borders, which was established by Scott Morrison following the 2013 election, comes after the Prime Minister this week attacked Labor for failing to control Australia’s borders during the Rudd-Gillard years when 50,000 people arrived illegally on more than 820 boats, causing about 1200 deaths at sea.

Mr Morrison, who is putting economic management and national security at the heart of his re-election pitch, asked voters whether they trusted opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally on borders “or Karen Andrews together with myself”.

Ms Andrews, who met senior Sri Lankan and Indonesian officials in December to discuss -people-smuggling threats in the region, said “anyone considering an illegal maritime journey to Australia should think again”.

The Home Affairs Minister, who has filmed two deterrence videos warning vulnerable people about Australia’s tough border policies, said “under this government, you have zero chance of success”.

“Since 2013, the Australian government has worked methodically – and successfully – to end maritime people-smuggling in our region,” she said.

“Under Operation Sovereign Borders, Australia has some of the strongest border protection arrangements in the world.”

Senator Keneally said Mr Morrison should “focus on keeping the borders safe in the national interest and not trying to manufacture differences with the opposition in the lead-up to an election”.

“Labor supports Operation Sovereign Borders – offshore processing, regional resettlement and turnbacks where safe to do so – but for years Labor has warned that Mr Morrison has put border protection on ‘set and forget’ mode,” Senator Keneally told The Australian.

“Under Mr Morrison’s leadership, new border protection measures that Peter Dutton said were ‘critical to maintaining secure borders’ were shelved, the budget for Cape-class patrol boats was cut and since 2018, the ABF has run only two late-night ¬missions of maritime aerial ¬surveillance.”

In the ALP national platform, Labor has pledged to “fund and maintain robust border security measures that support the orderly processing of migration to our country and protect our national interest and national borders”.

“To combat all forms of people-smuggling, trafficking and exploitation by boat, plane or other means, Labor will engage with Australia’s neighbours to address ‘push factors’ by seeking innovative, effective and lawful solutions to the irregular movement of people through the region,” the platform said.

While the Morrison government has retained offshore processing operations in Nauru, ensuring an ongoing deterrent to disrupt people-smugglers, it ceased more than eight years of offshore administration of illegal arrivals in Papua New Guinea on December 31.

Operation Sovereign Borders, initially led by current Chief of Defence Force General Angus Campbell, is a military-led, border security operation overseen by the Department of Home Affairs and supported by multiple federal government agencies.

Outgoing Operation Sovereign Borders commander Rear Admiral Mark Hill said despite the challenges of Covid-19, his team had “operated around the clock to keep the nation safe and help protect our oceans”.