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%).