The PM pledged to set up a regional processing centre for asylum seekers in East Timor, while the Opposition vowed to restore offshore processing. Here are more details on their policies.
LABOR
Processing centre in East Timor
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says talks are already under way with East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta and New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key to establish a processing centre for asylum seekers in East Timor.
She says such a centre would ensure that asylum seekers are subject to consistent, fair assessment processes.
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The plan aims to wreck the people smuggling trade by removing the incentive for boats to leave their port of origin in the first place, she added.
The Prime Minister has also spoken to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, to reiterate the Government's support for the development of a sustainable, effective regional protection framework.
Ban on Sri Lankan asylum seekers lifted
Ms Gillard says the government has decided to immediately lift the ban on the handling of Sri Lankan asylum claims.
The three-month ban had strongly been criticised by the United Nations.
The PM says the ban will be lifted on Thursday.
Afghan asylum seekers processing under review
Ms Gillard says she won't immediately end the halt in processing of Afghan asylum seekers but would keep that under review in coming weeks and months.
She says the government will work closely with the government of Afghanistan on a range of migration issues including implementing arrangements for the return of Afghans not found to be refugees.
So far this year more than 60 per cent of all asylum seekers arriving by boat had come from Afghanistan, the PM said.
Tougher penalties for people smugglers
If re-elected, Labor would seek to increase penalties for people smuggling, Ms Gillard said.
Maximum penalties would be increased to cover people smuggling ventures that resulted in death.
COALITION
The federal opposition says it would:
-Restore universal offshore processing of all illegal boat arrivals, including in a third country;
-Restore Temporary Protection Visas;
-Turn back the boats where circumstances permit;
-Apply mandatory work for benefits scheme for all protection visa holders; and
-Restore the 45 day rule and oppose complementary protection
Proof of identity
The Coalition says it would establish greater objectivity in the determination of the refugee status of asylum seekers who are unable to present identity documentation.
If an asylum seeker was caught destroying or confiscating their identity documentation deliberately, there would be a presumption against awarding refugee status under Section 91W of the Migration Act, the Coalition says.
Merit panel would be abolished
Under a Coalition government the Minister for Immigration will reserve the right to directly intervene in the decision making process.
The merit review panel would be abolished. The asylum applicant would instead have the option of appealing a recommendation made by an assessor to another assessment officer.
The applicant may appeal such decision to the Minister, but the Minister's decision would be final.
The Coalition would also abolish Labor's policy of providing free legal advice to applicants appealing their decision.
Priority to offshore applicants
A Coalition government would give priority to resettlement of refugees who have made offshore applications to Australia's refugee and humanitarian visa program.
The Coalition would increase the number of resettlement places made available through the UNHCR process for off shore applications each year by 1,500 persons.
The total number of places under the Refugee and Humanitarian programme would remain at 13,750.
Mandatory detention
The Coalition would require offshore entry persons to first make an application for permanent residency to countries other than Australia, before being granted the permission to apply for a protection visa in Australia.
Asylum seekers would remain in detention until a decision has been made.
Private refugee sponsorship pilot
The Coalition would trial a refugee sponsorship program to enable groups in Australia to privately sponsor refugees.
These bonded private sponsorships would operate in a way similar to the contributory parent visa programme.
The number of places would be in addition to those established each year for the regular refugee and humanitarian program.
THE GREENS
The Australian Greens say they would:
-Increase the share of places for off-shore refugees and humanitarian entrants.
- Abolish mandatory and indefinite detention of asylum seekers.
-Abolish discriminatory separation of refugees into permanent and temporary visa categories based on whether or not they arrived with a valid visa.
-Abolish the 'seven day rule' legislation whereby asylum seekers cannot gain a permanent protection visa if they have spent seven days in a third country.
-Ensure asylum seekers are fully informed of their rights on arrival and given immediate access to legal assistance.
-Restore asylum seekers' legal right to challenge decisions that affect them in the courts.
Humanitarian review tribunal
The Greens would replace the current system of humanitarian visas (granted only by the Immigration Minister after rejection as a refugee) with a humanitarian visa process incorporating a humanitarian review tribunal.
-Ensure that initial assessment of refugee status is completed within 90 days.
Integration with the community
The Greens vowed to grant asylum seekers an asylum application visa (AAV) and assist without delay their move into the community provided medical and security checks are satisfied.
-Ensure asylum seekers living in the community while their claim is assessed will be granted an AAV which will entitle them to travel, work, income support and access to ongoing educational and medical services anywhere in Australia.
-Deny an AAV if security checks demonstrate the person poses a serious criminal threat to the Australian community.
Environmental refugees
The Greens pledged to ensure that Australia adopts a definition of environmental refugee in its assessment criteria and works in the UN system for inclusion of a definition in the United Nations Refugee Convention.
Families
And they vowed to ensure that no family unit is forcibly separated by the Australian assessment processes.
They would grant the families of approved asylum seekers permission to migrate to Australia for family reunions within a reasonable time, in accordance with the UNHCR humanitarian program.
