Oppn blames $1b detention costs on govt

9 Feb 2012, 10:58 am   -   Source: AAP
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The opposition blames government policy failures for the reported $1 billion cost of accommodating asylum seekers.

The opposition has again called on the federal government to reopen an immigration detention centre on Nauru now that it will cost taxpayers a reported $1 billion to accommodate asylum seekers in Australia.

The coalition also wants a return to temporary protection visas.

Security company Serco reportedly has negotiated a new four-year contract with the immigration department that goes from $299.2 million over four years in 2009 to $1.03 billion.

A separate contract to manage the immigration residential program doubled from $44.5 million to $85.6 million, News Limited said.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison attributed the additional costs to government policy failures, saying 7600 boat people had arrived since the 2010 election.

"That's why they have had to build 4500 new beds," he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

The government is limited to processing asylum seekers onshore after the High Court stymied its people-swap deal with Malaysia.

Labor has yet to garner the numbers in parliament to validate the deal and other offshore arrangements, including Nauru.

Talks between Labor and the coalition have failed to reach a compromise on government legislation.

Mr Morrison said the government had two choices - accepting onshore processing, a position supported by the Australian Greens, or the proven policies of the coalition.

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