Abbott dismisses 'carping' critics

Former prime minister Tony Abbott insists he was giving European governments respectful advice when he told them to close their borders to asylum seekers.

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Source: AAP

Tony Abbott has dismissed as "carping from the usual suspects" those who criticised advice he gave to European nations on how how to handle asylum seekers.

Mr Abbott, writing in The Spectator, said he was giving Europe respectful advice based on his own experience when he told governments to turn boats around and deny entry at the border to those with no legal right to come.

"It is the only way to prevent a tide of humanity surging through Europe and quite possibly changing it forever," the former prime minister said.


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world