Processing Asylum Seekers

Q.  The Government has announced two possible agreements with Malaysia and Papua New Guinea on asylum seekers. Under these agreements, asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia will be sent to either Malaysia or PNG for processing, and in return Australia will take a fixed number of refugees from Malaysia.

Do you support or oppose the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to PNG and Malaysia?

	Total	Vote Labor	Vote Liberal/ National	Vote Greens
Total support	40%	55%	40%	29%
Total oppose	40%	25%	49%	53%
Strongly support	11%	16%	12%	5%
Support	29%	39%	28%	24%
Oppose	20%	16%	19%	33%
Strongly oppose	20%	9%	30%	20%
Don’t know	19%	20%	12%	17%

Respondents were divided over the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to PNG and Malaysia – 40% support and 40% oppose. Labor voters were more likely to support the plan (55%) while Greens voters were most likely to oppose it (53%).

There were no substantial differences by demographic groups.