Australia's suspension on Sri Lankan asylum seekers did not stop people smuggling

Although a three-month suspension Australian government imposed on processing claims of Sri Lankan asylum seekers is to expire next week, it never stopped the people smuggling, the Australian government says.



Australia on April 8th of this year announced that effective immediately it has suspended the processing of new asylum applications from Sri Lankans for three months and from Afghans for six months as the situation in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are "evolving".
Australian media reported that the new Prime Minister Julia Gillard who is tough on the illegal immigration issue, is to take the opportunity to revamp the asylum seeker policy as boats carrying asylum seekers have continued to arrive in Australian waters despite the announcement.
The Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith has told the AFP that Australia wanted to "work not just with the source countries like Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, but also transit countries through our region -- Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand."
Smith has said the suspension is allowing the government to reassess conditions in Sri Lanka.