Coalition won't be asking for Indonesia's permission on asylum seeker policies: Bishop

Updated

Incoming foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop says she is confident the Coalition will be able to implement all of its asylum seeker policies regardless of how Indonesia views them.

Indonesia's foreign minister Marty Natelegawa recently rejected the Coalition's plan to purchase boats from Indonesian fishermen in a bid to prevent people smugglers buying them.

The policy is part of Operation Sovereign Borders, the Coalition's regional action plan against people smuggling which was announced during the federal election campaign.

Ms Bishop has told Sky News she will leave for meetings at the United Nations in New York on Saturday and will talk to Dr Natalegawa while she is there.

"What we have in place is a series of policies that we intend to implement by legislation and operationally, and they will not breach Indonesia's sovereignty," she said.

"We're not asking for Indonesia's permission, we're asking for their understanding.

"Of course all relationships require managing, but there is a level of mutual respect between Indonesia and Australia and we will maintain that.

"We've said there will be a no-surprises policy with Indonesia and we will talk through all these issues."

Ms Bishop had said last week that the incoming government would negotiate with Indonesia on all aspects of its asylum seeker policy, where possible.

"It is important Australia works closely with Indonesia to halt the people smuggling trade through their country," she said.

Dr Natelegawa said Indonesia would have to differentiate between the political campaign that Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott was trying to win and what the reality would be once he is sworn in.

Mr Abbott and Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held their first phone conversation since the election last Tuesday, and Mr Abbott plans to visit Jakarta at the end of the month.

Mr Abbott says the Coalition's new border protection policy will take effect from Wednesday, when his new frontbench is officially sworn in.

As well as the plan to purchase boats from Indonesian fishermen, Mr Abbott's policy involves turning boats around when it is safe to do so.

He says his policy will start to have an effect as soon as it is in place, but it will take time to stop the arrival of boats.

"Not all of the elements of Operation Sovereign Borders will commence instantaneously on day one," he said.

"But nevertheless, it will commence on day one, and it will steadily be put into effect, and I am confident that we can stop the boats."

Authorities struggling to catch people smugglers: report

Meanwhile, a new report says Indonesian authorities are struggling to catch people smugglers despite an increase in the number of prosecutions.

A University of Melbourne study found that most prosecutions are against low-level boat crew members.

Researcher Antje Missbach says people smugglers are taking advantage of unemployed or poor crew.

"People smugglers employ disposable workers at this end of the operation knowing that they might only use one driver for one operation and they would have to hire somebody new," she said.

She said those found guilty are often unable to pay their fines.

"Often they are unemployed, or they are from very poor backgrounds, they are manual workers, sometimes fishermen," she said.

"So they normally have not much disposable income available."

Topics: refugees, immigration, community-and-society, foreign-affairs, government-and-politics, australia, indonesia

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