Asylum seekers en route to Australia from Indonesia are rescued off Christmas Island by the Norwegian ship MV Tampa. The Federal Government refuses to allow the asylum seekers to disembark in Australia sparking national and international debate.
As a result, new border control legislation is introduced in the form of a series of laws designed to protect Australia’s borders and deter people smugglers. The new laws include the excision of Christmas, Cocos, Cartier and Ashmore islands from Australia’s migration zone and the introduction of a new visa regime for unauthorised arrivals to these territories. The laws also include mandatory sentencing for people smugglers and preferential visa conditions for people who apply for refugee status while offshore.
The Pacific island of Nauru, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea agree to take asylum seekers who were denied permission to land on Christmas Island. Nauru later agrees to increase its intake of asylum seekers in exchange for development aid from Australia.
