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Government launches campaign to deter asylum seekers from arriving by boat

The government has launched a campaign to deter asylum seekers from trying to reach Australia by boat.

The campaign sees Prime Minister Julia Gillard feature in ads running online that carry the slogan ‘no advantage’, pointing out that refugees will not be processed any faster if they arrive in Australia by sea.

The ads are targeted at embassies, the UN and ‘transit countries’ for economic and political migrants, distributed through DVDs, posters and online.

The ads state: ”There is no advantage in paying a people smuggler to travel to Australia. The Australian government is preparing to transfer asylum seekers who travel by boat to Nauru or Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. This includes people who arrive alone, in family groups, and children.”

In the ads, Gillard announces the new policy, and the words ”no advantage” repeated. Would-be asylum seekers are told that they ”will not be able to sponsor family to come to Australia”.

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