Cabinet Papers reveal how far Howard Government went to keep asylum seekers out

Government documents from 2002 - kept secret until now - have revealed the lengths the Howard government went to, to keep asylum seekers from reaching the Australian mainland, despite cost and human rights concerns. The cabinet papers provide rare insight into how national security concerns shaped immigration policies - many of which are still in place today.

(FILES) Australian Prime Minister John Howard, whose conservative Liberal-National coalition government has been in office since 1996, clenches his fists during a speech in Sydney, 06 August 2002. Source: AFP / TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP via Getty Images