Best way of processing of asylum seekers
Q. Thinking about the issue of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat, which of the following alternatives do you think is the best way to process those arriving:
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | 50% or more | About 25% | About 10% | About 5% | 1% or less | |||
Offshore, in any other country | 11% | 17% | 11% | 5% | 17% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 9% | ||
Offshore, but only in a country where human rights are protected | 31% | 31% | 37% | 25% | 27% | 41% | 36% | 40% | 30% | ||
Onshore (in Australia) | 21% | 24% | 11% | 58% | 4% | 7% | 19% | 27% | 42% | ||
Turn the boats around | 28% | 21% | 36% | 6% | 51% | 39% | 30% | 23% | 15% | ||
Don’t know | 9% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 3% | 4% |
The most favoured method of processing asylum seekers was ‘offshore, but only in a country where human rights are protected’ (31%), followed by ‘turn the boats around’ (28%).
Respondents then favour processing ‘onshore in Australia’ (21%) over processing asylum seekers ‘offshore in any other country’ (11%).
Coalition voters are more likely to prefer processing asylum seekers offshore where human rights are protected (37%), as well as turning the boats around (36%).
Greens voters are much more likely to prefer onshore processing in Australia (58%). Labor voters are more likely to prefer processing offshore in any other country (17%) and somewhat more likely to prefer processing ‘onshore in Australia’ (24%).
Respondents that believe the proportion of boat arrivals constitute ‘50% or more’ of the annual immigration intake are far more likely to favour ‘turning the boats around’ (51%).
Conversely, respondents that believe the proportion to be ‘1% or less’ are far more likely to be in favour of processing onshore in Australia (42%).

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