The Australian government will be reopening the Christmas Island detention center, likened to a maximum security prison, after the opposition streamlined a bill to allow migrant detainees to seek medical help on the mainland. Australia’s conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Tuesday that the detention facility in the Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean his government... 

All the nonwhite invaders aboard the first invasion boat to reach the Australian shore in nearly four years have been captured and sent to the offshore illegal immigrant processing center of Christmas Island pending deportation, the Australian government has announced. According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the boat—a fishing vessel from Vietnam—reached Australia’s... 

A handcuffed Christmas Island detainee being led to a plane bound for Sydney and the Silverwater detention center. Australia has tightened its controversial immigration laws by introducing temporary visas for refugees, which do not grant settlement in the country. Australia’s lower house of parliament narrowly approved amendments to the Migration Act on Friday following a debate on the issue in the... 

Australia says it would continue to send back illegal Sri Lankan asylum seekers if their claims are not covered by the refugee convention. “When people arrive in Australia unauthorised, any claims they make for their reasons to travel to Australia are assessed by the Department of Immigration. If these claims are not covered by the refugee convention, they will be returned to their home land wherever... 

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen insists Australia’s tough asylum seeker policies are discouraging Sri Lankans from getting on boats despite a warning that boat arrivals could total 30,000 in 2013. The minister’s comments came as refugee advocate Paris Aristotle warned asylum seeker boat arrivals, which reached around 2500 in November, were likely to increase next year. “At the current... 

Rescuers at the scene of a refugee boat accident near Australia’s Christmas Island. A boat carrying 130 asylum-seekers has capsized near Australia’s Christmas Island in a second such incident this week. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority announced earlier that two merchant vessels had been dispatched to the scene on a rescue operation. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said at least... 

A boat is intercepted by the Border Protection Command off Australia's north coast. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has indicated that authorities on Christmas Island will be authorised to use force to make sure asylum seekers get on board aircraft taking them to Malaysia. The first boatload of people to be processed under the asylum seeker swap deal with Malaysia arrived on Christmas Island this... 

East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta(L) addresses a joint press conference with Australia’s immigration minister Chris Bowen(R) after their meeting at the presidential palace in Dili. Australia moved to toughen its refugee stance on Tuesday, launching a stricter character test so those convicted of crimes, including rioting, while in immigration detention could be shipped home. Immigration Minister... 

Residents and police try to rescue refugees from a boat being smashed by violent seas against the jagged coastline of Australia's Christmas Island on Wednesday. Dozens of people are feared to have drowned after a boat carrying suspected asylum seekers crashed into rocks on Australia’s Christmas Island. Pictures from the scene showed the boat, believed to be carrying Iranians and Iraqis, smashed...