Malaysia critical to asylum policy: Carr

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says the government’s Malaysian people-swap deal is “indispensable” to any asylum seeker solution.

Senator Carr says the controversial deal is the best way to achieve both safer borders and the humane treatment of asylum seekers.

“The Malaysian arrangement simply makes sense,” he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

“It’s indispensable.”

The Labor government needs coalition support to pass a bill that would restore offshore processing and the controversial Malaysia deal.

But the coalition is firmly opposed to the Malaysia deal, arguing any country selected for offshore processing must be a signatory to the UN refugee convention, which would allow its preferred option of Nauru.

The government has offered fresh talks aimed at finding a bipartisan compromise but Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is refusing to negotiate.

Senator Carr said Mr Abbott’s support was necessary to resolve the issue.

“Surely Tony Abbott can see his way to the more humane option.”

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